Easter holds a weight and beauty that can be missed by doubters, seekers, and followers alike. Our hope for this year is to prepare our hearts and minds for the celebration that is Easter Sunday. To do this, we are spending the seven weeks leading up to Easter examining the seven phrases Jesus spoke from the cross.
The words of a dying man.
When you’re in your final moments, what flashes through your mind? What images flash, what memories linger, what regrets will you wrestle with? If you know your death is inevitable today, what would you want to say to those gathered around? Words are not wasted in those last moments; your desires, your values, what you hold most dear is revealed.
We live in a society that oversimplifies words, consuming and spouting thousands of meaningless phrases every day. We type and backspace, we easily delete what we just posted for all the world to see. There is little weight given to our words, so we quickly skim over thousands of words without truly considering any weight they have.
As Easter approaches, we want to slow down and consider the words Jesus Christ spoke from the cross. We believe that in those words we will find love, mercy, and life.