03-Apr-2026

Good Friday today. Spent some morning time reflecting on the day and enjoyed it. Read Luke 22, and spent some time reflecting on the disciples as they argued and bickered. Jesus at one point instructs them to serve as leaders and not to lord it over one another. I don't think I spend enough time considering how the ministry work that I do should be serving in humility. There is maybe a bit of a sense of it, but it definitely isn't one of the normative attitudes of my leadership. I do care and want to do all I can, but I think I am more oriented to think of my leadership as setting a direction or setting a tone. While I think there may be something different about serving in the way Jesus did. He set the tone and direction for His disciples. But was always receiving from the Father what He needed so that he could know which direction to go.

I was also struck by Jesus' prayer in The Garden of Gethsemane. He told the disciples to pray against temptation. And then He prayed for the cup to be taken from Him, but also that God's will be done over His own. These are probably two Prayers I don't pray enough. Against temptation and for God's will to be done in my life. I think I still hold on to many things in my life that I want. And I also don't really think to pray against temptation but really should. Bringing everything to God and trusting Him. That is probably a continual wrestle in our hearts of how to do that well. And I pray over time this obedience to God will get easier, or at least I won't question it as much.

Good Friday is an odd day. I don't if I'm to feel sad or happy There is great joy to know what happened. But also a solemness for what transpired. Jesus, fully God fully man, dying on the cross. Living in Union with Christ - Grant Macaskill explains that on the cross Jesus united what was sinful to Himself, taking on humanity's Identity, so that we can take on being in Christ. We get to receive a new Identity in Christ because of what Christ did for us. I think that is quite a way to look at it. An amazing thing that God has done for us. I can't even really picture it. I can't wrap my head around it. My heart feels so distant from what this act was. It is hard to imagine. Hard to take it in. Makes sense why Paul prays that we need God's help to understand God's love for us. It is just so beyond our understanding what our sin is and what was required for it be dealt with.