Maundy Thursday

Ok, I'm going to post more of the story later.  My life got a little hectic, so that had to go on the back burner. 

I've been up all night writing papers, and as usual the exhaustion means that I do things that are a little out of the oridinary.  As I write this I am sitting ar the reservior watching the sun rise.  As the sky lights up with fiery oranges and pinks I can't help but wonder if this is something Jesus did.  Did he wake up at the crack of dawn and watch as God painted the sky with colors envied by artists everywhere?  Did he do this on the his last Thursday before all hell broke loose? 

I don't know.  But I do know that as I see the sun begin to peek through the clouds I can honestly say that today I know where I came from and that is more than enought for me.

Monday

When I woke up the next day the sun was still low in the sky. Low enough for it seem like a night with a full moon. It took me a few minutes to remember where I was. Once I had remembered the strange day before, my mind started to go a mile a minute. How had I gotten here? Why was I here? Did anyone back home know I was gone? Could this possibly be a dream? I only had an answer to the last question. It was most definitely not a dream. I could feel the cool air that was surrounding me. I could smell the animals and un-bathed people all around me. I could hear the rooster crow to wake the neighborhood to the new day. No, this was not a dream.

While I was still thinking I noticed a shadowy figure cross in front of a window. It appeared to be looking for me. Once the figure had gotten closer I realized it was Jesus. He motioned for me to stay quiet, but to follow him outside.

Once outside, he turned to me and said, "Kate, I'm sure you have many questions. I will answer the ones I can. Others you will have to figure out yourself."

I nodded, and started to ask everything that had come to mind earlier.

"I cannot answer how, but as far as why goes, you are here to learn something. Only you can know what it is. You were wise not to try to explain where you were from to John last night. I suggest you keep it secret. I want you to stay with my disciples. My mother and the other women will look after you. There will be a lot that happens this week that you already know about. Be sure not to tell anyone. They will take you for mad, or demon possessed." When he said this last part I realized how dangerous this could be if I didn't keep a guard on my tongue.

The two of us just sat there for a few more minutes taking in the sunrise that somehow seemed much more vibrant than the sunrises I had seen back home. Soon, the shadows began to shorten. The street was silent and still; very different from how I remembered it from the night before. As I was taking in the scene I felt Jesus rise.

"It is about the time the others will be getting up. We should go back in and meet them." He said as he held his hand out to me. As he pulled me up, I could feel his hands, rough from working with wood for so many years. I thought how ironic it was that he would soon die of the very thing his father had made a living from. As though he read my thoughts, Jesus turned to me and said, "Remember, don't tell people what you know. It will only put you in danger."

Once the others were up we all headed out to the Temple. Once we arrived I was overwhelmed by the chaos that was going on around me.
“Get your Temple sanctioned doves hear, guaranteed to be accepted by the high priest!” “Passover lambs for sale! Get them before they are gone!” “Don’t be refused service, change those Roman coins for the coins of the chosen people!”

Everywhere I looked there was someone selling something. People were dragging their offerings in, and the sales men were telling them that they wouldn't be good enough and they should just buy from the temple. And there were money changers at the entrance. I even saw a woman trying to sell herself to any man who walked by.

As the woman came up to James to try and conduct business I could see Jesus tense up. Out of nowhere he went to the nearest moneychanger's booth and with a soul wrenching yell he flipped it, sending the coins scattering through the crowd. People scramble to pick them up while the moneychanger stood in shock. Jesus proceeded to do the same thing to the rest of the booths nearby. He released the doves a man was selling to sacrifice and he untied the other livestock, all the while Jesus continued to yell. “You ungrateful thieves! Get out of my Father’s house! Get out! Don’t ever come back!” He grabbed a rope and began whipping the moneychanger, tax collectors and merchants; driving them out of the Temple courtyard.

Jesus threw the prostitute out and when the Pharisees had come over to see what the commotion was about. Jesus turned to them. He was panting and sweating from the anger and exertion. "It is written ' My house shall be called a house of prayer' but you have made it a den of thieves. Destroy this temple and in three days I will make it rise." With that he threw the whip down and walked toward the Temple. Jesus noticed and old woman who had been knocked over in the commotion. He reached down to help an old woman up. Once he was sure she was ok, we turned and left.

We didn't go back to the temple that day; instead we went out to a garden and prayed. We stayed there for the rest of the day and went back to the place we were staying that night. We all immediately fell asleep.

Sunday

** When I was looking for a file on my computer I came across this story I wrote a couple of years ago. I edited it and have decided to share. Hopefully I will have time to write the rest this week along with catching up from being sick last week. I hope you enjoy, and keep looking out for the rest of them.**

As an American teenager I never gave much thought to religion. It was always just something that made me get up early on a Sunday. I would rarely wake up for church, and if I did it usually to scope out the boy in the nearby pew. I tuned out every word that was said to me about being a Christian, or about Jesus' life. It's not that I didn't care… I just didn't get it. I didn't understand how a man who lived so long ago mattered now, two thousand years later. Well that all changed last year.

On this particular Sunday I was motivated to go out for a run before I had to go sit still in church for an hour. I tied my sneakers, put my head phones in and attached my iPod to my upper arm, grabbed my keys and headed out the door. As I looked out the door, my little suburban neighborhood looked nothing like it did when I went to bed the night before.

My street looked like a couple tons of sand had been dumped on it. The brick house that used to be a crossed the street now looked to be made of mud or something, almost like it was a pueblo. The street it's self looked to be just packed down sand and dirt. The kids playing tag down the street weren’t in jeans and a t-shirt like normal, but were wearing very simple dresses, complete with a rope belt. I looked to the west and saw what looked like a temple fortress.
I soon realized that my iPod wasn't playing and went to check it, but it wasn’t on my arm anymore. I looked down and saw I was wearing the same style clothes as the kids. Determined to find out what was going on, I left my house and started looking for someone to ask.

As I got closer to the main road I could see a large crowd of people gathered around it. They were holding big leafy palm branches and shouting. The energy that exuded from the crowd was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. The best way I have to describe it is imagine the Ball drop in Times Square. It was that kind of excitement and clamor that this crowd was showing.

Turning to the man closest to me, I tapped him on the shoulder; I asked "What is happening? Why is everyone cheering and waving branches in the air?"
Looking back at me the man exclaimed, "Our Messiah has come, our new King, we came out to meet him. He is going to conquer the Romans and save us from their bullshit!" As he finished saying this he took off this outer coat and laid it out over the road along with the other coats and palm leaves.

The familiarity of what the man said hit me. I knew this story. Mom would read it to me every Palm Sunday.

As I realized what was going on, I saw him riding in on a donkey. As the crowd roared around him he had a peaceful smile on his face. His eyes told another story. . There was no way this was the powerful soon to be conqueror of Romans that the man had just claimed him to be. I watched as he smiled to the little children who ran out to meet him. He messed one of the little boy's hair and kept riding. The boy looked as though he had been touched by a king. This huge snaggle-toothed grin stretched a crossed his face as he ran back to his companions.

Soon I could hear what the people were yelling; they were saying "Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! Blessed be the Son of David!"

I knew without a doubt that the man riding the donkey was Jesus. But, I wasn't supposed to be there. I was from the year 2007, what was I doing in Jesus' time? As these thoughts were racing through my head Jesus turned his head and looked back at me. He knew who I was. As I looked into his eyes it was as if he were saying, "Don't worry. Follow me.”

Before I realized it, I started to walk after Him. I wanted to see what his story was all about. That evening, when I had found where Jesus was I went up to one of the men traveling with Him.

"Sir," I said, "may I stay with your group? I have nowhere else to go." I didn't want to give too much away, so to dodge any unwanted questions I added, "I don't belong here."

The man smiled, "woman," he said, "I will check with my master, but I am sure you can stay with us." With that he went to Jesus and whispered something in his ear. Jesus smiled and nodded. Then the man came back over. "Woman, my master agrees. You are more than welcome to travel with us. My name is John. I am a disciple of that man, Jesus, along with these other eleven men." He then proceeded to point to each man as he called them by name. "Here is my brother James. This is Peter and his brother Andrew. Over there is Simon, and Bartholomew. Over watering the Donkey is Thomas, and next to him is Philip. Over talking with Jesus now is James of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot. The three men who are talking to each other are Judas of James, Matthew, and Judas Iscariot. We have been traveling together for a while now; all of us were called together by the teacher himself. Some of us were fishing while others were doing their everyday job. Oh, I don't think I caught your name."

Trying to take it all in I almost missed his question. "Oh, uh, my name is Kate." I stuttered. John smiled warmly as I continued to look around.

"The crowd is overwhelming at first, but you will get used to it. Although I will admit none of us were expecting that welcome. No of us, except maybe Jesus." John added. As he finished saying this one of the other men, the one I think he called Peter came over to him and said, "We are going to stay here tonight. The women will be with us. Do make sure you introduce the new one, Kate I think," looking at me to make sure. Once I nodded he continued, "make sure Kate meets the other women." John, who seems to be forever smiling, nodded, "Thank you for reminding me Peter. I shall do that right now." He said as he steered me over to a group of women that I hadn't noticed until now.

The women all varied in age, though most were much older than the others. As I approached, John called out to one of the younger ones, "Mary, we have a new member of our band. Would you mind looking out for her?" The young woman replied, "John, of course not." With that she confidently strode over to me and hugged me. "I am Mary Magdalene," she said, "why don't I introduce you to the rest of the girls?" Pointing at one of the elderly ladies, she said " this is Salome, She is James and John's mother. Over here are the sisters Mary and Martha, and with them is Johanna." Mary paused as the women said hello, but I noticed she hadn't introduced one old woman.

"Mary, did you forget me?" the old woman chided with a grin on her face.

Mary laughed, "Of course not, I was leaving you for last." then turning to me she said, "And this, Kate, is Jesus' mother, her name is also Mary."

"Welcome to our travel group." Mother Mary said warmly, coming forward to hug me. "You will fit right in with us; whether you belong in Jerusalem, or not. But now the sun is going down. We all need to get to bed. Don't forget to say your prayers ladies." And with that, Mary Magdalene took me by the hand and guided me to where she was sleeping, "you can stay by me tonight." And with that, my day was over.

Stomach Flu Update

Well, this evening mom came and got me from school and brought me home.  After spending the entire ride home fighting off feeling like I was going to puke mom asked me if I thought I should go to the hospital right away.  My head was throbbing, I was incredibly dizzy, and overall sick.  I told her yes.I checked in and they put a fluid IV in.  After that I felt much better.  Still not great, but better.  Now I am heading to bed.

Stomach Flu

I went to bed last night feeling like shit and woke up this morning feeling no different.  After an entire day of being by myself to sleep I really just want to be around people, but I have a fever.  Out of love for my friends I am quarentining myself in my room, at the expense of my sanity.  I want to go home and be with my mom, but dad will get sick if I do that.  I just feel like I need to taken care of, but won't ask anyone to do that.  I hate being sick.  It turns me into a small child.  :(

Beautiful Things

***First, let me preface the double post today by saying that I downloaded the Blogger app for my droid, so now it is so much easier for me to post here when I think to do so.***

At Soma on Wednesday we sang a song called Beautiful Things and I was totally digging it.  Ever since then, the chorus has been stuck in my head (when Be A Man isn't there, that is).  It goes something like:

"You make beautiful things,
You make beautiful things out of the dust.
You make beautiful things,
You make beautiful things out of us."

I just love that.  Genesis (the book, not the band) tells us that we were formed from dirt.  God took something that we try our best to keep out of our house, clothes and kids mouths and he used that to create us.  And there is more than just that.  God uses us to do things we never thought we could.  He uses us to touch people's live in a way that let's the see the beauty and wonder of the world.  He uses us to show people how life should have, and still could, be.  I don't know anything more beautiful than that.

That is my happy thought for today.  If you have a couple minutes I suggest you go listen to Beautiful Things by the band Gungor.  Really listen to the words and try to truly understand that it is not just about sunsets and daisies, but about you and me.

Spring time!

I always spend more time at the reservoir during the spring than any other time of the year. 

It just makes me happy.