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We begin what is called “Holy Week” with Palm Sunday.  Today we had children bring forward palm branches in commemoration of the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.  In the background was the cross – a memory that Jesus had vividly in mind as He entered Jerusalem.

In our calendar this is one of the latest celebrations of Palm Sunday for some years.  Usually we would expect to have warm weather.  Instead snow was falling.  Even as I write this in late afternoon more flakes are appearing.

I suppose there is something ironic to a triumphal day on which frozen flakes appear to dampen the mood.  As the week progresses that mood does switch from high excitement to such a blast of cold ending in a cruel cross.

I don’t know what next Sunday will hold.  Perhaps rays of sunlight rising victorious.  As I think of Easter that’s exactly the picture I have in mind.  Let’s see what a week holds!

In my years of study I have found a truth about process. 

If you really want to make it to the other side of an issue, to understand a particular theme, you need to persevere.

I remember the first papers I wrote in college.  In three pages and with a few references I had figured out life changing issues.  Then, a few years later, I would encounter the same question.  This time I had more references and more pages.  And now, I try to be practical.  If I were to write all that informs my thoughts I would have to open a library.  Thankfully I have a computer so I don’t have to take up pages of paper.  No wonder a 90 year old can be enticed to speak for hours on a topic (although many say very little because they know how little they know even though they know more that I know!).

But, whether a few pages or a stream that doesn’t want to stop, I still find the process requires me to live in the fog for a while.  There is still the clear line that defines the path but often the incoming mist is distracting.  And then, one day it seems like the cloud lifts and things are clear.

Right now I have been working through a discipleship path for our church.  The more I read, the more I talk to people, the more I am bombarded with a myriad of words in a cloud of knowing. 

I’ve tried putting the words over top of each other.  A few get away and stand on their own.  But mostly they fall into four or five categories.  I’m starting to see the light.

So, here is a start – discipleship for a Christian is what happens to get you to your goal of being like your master, Jesus – to be Godly.  This involves a starting point, and a gradual lift towards a perfection achieved only after our death or when Jesus returns.  In some historical times this meant living life modeled after a rabbi, other times whole systems were provided by like minded Christians.

Which is most applicable in North America today?  Let’s be even more specific.  What is most applicable for yourself?  What is most applicable for the person next to you?  What can be achieved best by a group and what requires individual discipline?  How do you determine this?

All good questions that I’m working on right now.  Maybe a little foggy but there is a definite line that I’m following.  From experience I know I’ll get through the fog. 

I’ll keep your posted as I go.

The good news that is found in Jesus goes until the end.  True restoration of a world that God created is never done until Jesus returns.  But in the meanwhile, we pray that God’s kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven.  And we note that Jesus talked about the kingdom is near, and is among us.

What does that mean?  Certainly a spiritual appearing.  Something that affects us intrinsically (I’m loving that word more and more – those in this community agree that we must change intrinsically – by which they mean working from the inside out – they just don’t agree on the starting point for the inside and who does the changing!).  Spiritual change can have an ethereal sense.  No material change, no tangible results.

Unless we agree that an inside change has fruit.  In which case the kingdom come on earth will mean a holiness in our community.  Civility?  Perhaps that is a good word.  Good?  I wonder if Toronto the Good had something to do with God (if you trace this term you will find it does go back to a Christian revival in Toronto).  Living by a higher standard?  Perhaps that’s why we use a phrase – God keep our land.

Committed to the community.  As Christians we are probably the most committed to our community.  Now – and in the end when all the nations of the earth gather around Jesus – this is about restoration.  Jesus restoring his kingdom – completely at a later date and in seed form now.

Well, with a new understanding, I’m taking Monday’s off.

The idea is to intentionally take a sabbath (shabbat).  Spend the day with God in mind, worry out the door and a day without having to feel like you need to spend time, money and anxiety on the things of this world.

So, I awoke to rake a section of the front lawn which had been trampled by the snow of winter.  Swept out the garage, repaired a wooden chair and cleaned the entrance to our side door.

Then to an afternoon reading.  A book by Benjamin Perrin called “Invisible Chains:  Canada’s underground world of human trafficking.”  Not a pretty picture as I dug into the first few chapters.  Our denomination is setting out to address this problem with a program called “Defend Dignity.”

Then, off to supper with friends who are singing at our senior’s XYZ meeting tomorrow.  Afterwards we did a sound check.  AND – the fun of singing an acappella  quartet spontaneously!  That to me is refreshment at it’s best!

Now, after watching the TV show, “Castle”, Jill and I are sitting at the computer checking Facebook, listening to music and writing my blog.

A great day of rest!