An Invitation To Mourn

Luke 23:27-31

Looking Toward Jesus:

Read Jesus words a few times over. How do you imagine him saying this? What is His tone of voice? What type of emotion comes across? Now look to the women who are weeping loudly; looking at a beaten body of Jesus whom they had hoped would be the new King and rescue them all. What do you think these women made of the words Jesus spoke to them?

Looking Inward:

What are the things that make you weep? Why do they make you weep in that way? Have you ever cried about Jesus dying on the cross? Why or why not?

Looking Outwards

Do you think there are things in our neighborhoods and world that make God weep? Do those same things make us wee

Simon of Cyrene Carries The Cross

Luke 23:26

Looking Toward Jesus:

Jesus has been beaten up, cursed, and is so weary he can no longer physically carry his own cross. The guards grab a man out of the crowd and have him help Jesus. We know very little about this man, but can you imagine all that he was going through his mind, can you imagine the fear, can you imagine the surprise, can you imagine the anxiety, and can you imagine what it was like to be just pulled quickly into this torturous journey to the cross? And now look at Jesus, apparently reaching the end of his physical limitations, but he is no longer alone. His weary eyes look over and see Simon helping him to bear the weight.

Looking Inward:

What would your first response be if you were called out of the crowd to help Jesus carry his cross? Are there things if God needed you to do them you would slip back into the shadows of the crowd to avoid being called out? And on the other hand, what would be worth all the pain and suffering in the world to help with? What are the crossed you would pick up with pure joy?

Looking Outwards

We probably won’t have the chance to physically carry a cross like Simon did, but are there people around you who have things in their life that they are so weary of they can hardly carry them any more? How could you come along side them to comfort and help?

Standing Trial Before Pilate

Luke 23:13-25

(click here to read the scripture)

Looking Toward Jesus:

Jesus stands before an angry mob and the person who has the authority to free him or kill him: Pilate. They accuse him of all kind of things as a violent fervor grows. Pilate is hesitant, but in the end gives way to the crowds wishes. And Jesus remains silent, through it all he remains silent. Look deeply into his eyes in this moment, what is sustaining his silence? How can he continue to love and forgive the very people who would kill him?

Looking Inward:

Have you ever felt on trial, felt like you were being attacked, felt like someone or even a bunch of people were out to get you? How did you respond? How would you feel if you were Jesus in this moment? What would it take to hold your silence, and offer forgiveness instead of anger or hatred?

Looking Outwards

It’s easy to hop on the band wagon, to join in popular opinion, and make rash judgments about people. How do you keep from getting caught up in crowds like this? When the world is angry and demanding violence, how do you stand for peace and grace? Who do you know that might feel right now a little like Jesus did in that moment, and how can you speak a word of love into their lives?

Praying On The Mount Of Olives

Luke 22:39-46

Looking Toward Jesus:

Jesus is in anguish. Can you see it on his face? Do you hear it in his words? Imagine the the thoughts and feelings raging inside of Jesus. The moment of truth has arrived and he must now enter fully into his vocation as The Messiah, he must now embrace the cross. Jesus sits there alone, in anguish, crying out to God. Go there, sit with him, imagine yourself on your knees with Jesus in this moment of agony on the Mount of Olives. What does it feel like? What do you see, hear, smell, and think?

Looking Inward:

Have you ever wondered how Jesus’ best friends could fall asleep when he was experiencing such and intense moment? Have you ever had friends that seemed to fall asleep while your life fell apart? Have you been that friend, have you known someone experiencing crisis and yet you stayed at a comfortable distance? What is it that draws us to that place where the disciples were? What does it take to motivate us to stand with others in and through difficult moments?

Looking Outward:

Who do you know that is in some sort of crisis or agony right now? How can you stand with them? How do you think they would want you to stand with them?

Preparing To Encounter The Cross

Each week during the season of Lent, we will be taking a moment to gaze at still frame moments in Jesus journey towards the cross. Our desire it to prayerfully enter a time as individuals and together of reflecting on the Journey of Jesus towards Good Friday and Easter. Each week there will be some Biblical passages to reflect on. We will look at the cross, then we will look inward at how this penetrates our souls, and then we will look outward as we seek to live transformed lives in the world where we find ourselves.

Please feel free to use this as a forum to share pictures, songs, poems, thoughts, and any other thing that might help us enter more fully into this journey together.