It's Wednesday...at least for a few more minutes. I've been on a 48 hour run that is ending with me at a diner contemplating, well, Wednesday. It was a busy day in the bunny suit. Nothing extreme...just a day spent working hard and loving the best I can.
It was a good day.
Wednesday is the last day of any kind of normal in the holy walk of Christ to the cross. Tomorrow is the last supper, Friday is the cross, Saturday Jesus rests, and Sunday he gets up to come get me. After today, nothing will be the same.
Tonight he walked home to Bethany for the last time to spend the evening with Mary, Martha, and Lazurus. He had worked hard all day and loved the best. I imagine it was an evening filled with laughter...but in his mind he knew that it was going to be different tomorrow.
Tomorrow it will be time to go to work, but today we enjoy Wednesday and make the most of every moment we have been given.
May we enjoy Jesus, and each other, on the normal days as much as we do on the high holy days
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
ouch
For some reason, being the bunny hurt today. Maybe it was the day, the line, or the indulgence of a day off yesterday, but my back and my shoulders ached and my legs were stiff. I was a decidedly less animated bunny than usual. I looked forward to being replaced today - though because of the rush it was an hour late.
The interesting thing about being in the suit is the isolation. I can see people and hear them, but I am just not me. I are restrained, set aside to be the Bunny. Granted, being in the suit gives me a power that I do not have otherwise. No one would want a picture with the Easter Michael and I don't inspire the same kind of wonder dressed in my usual skin. That being said, being alone in the suit makes life confusing at times. I had no idea when my shift was going to end and had no way to find out.
I was sore...but endurance became the name of this game.
I've decided I can endure a lot when I know the finish is in sight. I would have sprung at an opportunity to shed my synthetic skin, but I had a job to do. Pain was not something to be heeded. There were kids to love and I knew it wouldn't last forever.
Today begins holy week.
Jesus, our faith teaches, bore his own distressing disguise. The beauty of the incarnation was that God put on mankind so he could do something he could not do in his own familliar form. In the person of Jesus Christ, God would feel what it is to be human first hand while inviting us to get a little closer.
The divine experienced moments of great joy while bearing the unfamiliar skin of humanity. However, this week, it's going to hurt.
The reason it's called "passion week" is because of the pain. This week we will see the God of Israel, the God who has been loving this group of people since the begining of time, hurt bad. Really bad.
The skin he put on to experience humanity is going to be ripped and bruised. The muscles that embraced the poor and the sick will be pulled and strained. He will know what it's like to be totally isolated. Totally alone in the universe.
The heart that loved all the way will be broken...
...and stop.
Today that heart was already feeling sore. He would have taken the opportunity to get out of the skin if it were possible. He prayed that way in the garden.
It was not possible because he had a job to do. Pain (or the temptation to avoid it) could not be heeded. There were kids to love and he knew it wouldn't last forever.
Today, in my small way, I wish to honor his holy week by enduring with honor - whatever my journey brings.
The interesting thing about being in the suit is the isolation. I can see people and hear them, but I am just not me. I are restrained, set aside to be the Bunny. Granted, being in the suit gives me a power that I do not have otherwise. No one would want a picture with the Easter Michael and I don't inspire the same kind of wonder dressed in my usual skin. That being said, being alone in the suit makes life confusing at times. I had no idea when my shift was going to end and had no way to find out.
I was sore...but endurance became the name of this game.
I've decided I can endure a lot when I know the finish is in sight. I would have sprung at an opportunity to shed my synthetic skin, but I had a job to do. Pain was not something to be heeded. There were kids to love and I knew it wouldn't last forever.
Today begins holy week.
Jesus, our faith teaches, bore his own distressing disguise. The beauty of the incarnation was that God put on mankind so he could do something he could not do in his own familliar form. In the person of Jesus Christ, God would feel what it is to be human first hand while inviting us to get a little closer.
The divine experienced moments of great joy while bearing the unfamiliar skin of humanity. However, this week, it's going to hurt.
The reason it's called "passion week" is because of the pain. This week we will see the God of Israel, the God who has been loving this group of people since the begining of time, hurt bad. Really bad.
The skin he put on to experience humanity is going to be ripped and bruised. The muscles that embraced the poor and the sick will be pulled and strained. He will know what it's like to be totally isolated. Totally alone in the universe.
The heart that loved all the way will be broken...
...and stop.
Today that heart was already feeling sore. He would have taken the opportunity to get out of the skin if it were possible. He prayed that way in the garden.
It was not possible because he had a job to do. Pain (or the temptation to avoid it) could not be heeded. There were kids to love and he knew it wouldn't last forever.
Today, in my small way, I wish to honor his holy week by enduring with honor - whatever my journey brings.
Friday, March 26, 2010
with great power...
There are different ways to approach the Easter Bunny. There is "the cling" where you hold tightly to mom the closer you get...even looking away hoping this situation will just pass. There is the "all in" where kids come running for you like we've know each other since the world was new. There is the "invisible wall" - kids start the run then stop dead in their tracks when their brain says "Hold up! That's one big bunny!"
The most common is the "I want to but is this crazy?" approach. You can see that they want to come, but logic or experience is telling them this is crazy. They trust mom, whose hand they hold, but she's been wrong before. Remember the incident with the shot?
But the desire to see the bunny overrides the fear and kids make it to me, eventually.
This is where I come in. I now have a choice.
See, I'm an adult. I'm smart and strong. There is no way these kids would crawl up in my lap in real life. I'd be a stranger. A person to avoid. With the suit on I represent something good and pure and holy. I represent something familliar.
I have the power to give them a great experience or do irrepairable damage in the 5 min they are with me. I could growl, strike, trash bunny land, chase them, or any number of things that would require thousands in therapist bills.
In my hand I hold the power of faith. If I abuse my power...I change what they believe.
It's terrifying.
Through the mesh of the mask I see people. We all walk through this mall having had our beliefs altered somehow. So many broken hearted, struggling to trust love. Each time we get bit, our faith shrinks further. We exist in shadow and self-preservation believing that the guy in the bunny suit, no matter how good and snuggly he looks, will probably do somehing hurtful in the end.
We start to believe that it simply isn't worth trying. We consider that, even though clearly it would be awesome to hang with the Easter Bunny, crawling up in his lap and letting oneself go is just too risky. The perimiter is safe...it might be less satisfying, but I won't die by bunny attack today. It's better if I keep my options open rather than giving all to the bunny...or to love.
I know Jesus had to have felt it on his way to the cross. The potential for all of this to go very wrong had to seem high. He could have lost it all...believing in promises...and never saw his life return - never to know love again. But he kept walking, believing that he could totally submit and love would find him again.
In so many ways, a life of temporary relationships, career focus, chemical abuse, or amusement just seems safer. I don't expect them to love me or be here in the end. I know they come and go. They are for the moment...at least it's clear. When the moment is over and I'm left with nothing but the empty, there's no hard feelings because there was no expectations.
I've decided I want love. I don't say that with confidence...I say it like my young friends come to the bunny. I move real slow staring straight ahead for clues indicating if it's safe.
The most common is the "I want to but is this crazy?" approach. You can see that they want to come, but logic or experience is telling them this is crazy. They trust mom, whose hand they hold, but she's been wrong before. Remember the incident with the shot?
But the desire to see the bunny overrides the fear and kids make it to me, eventually.
This is where I come in. I now have a choice.
See, I'm an adult. I'm smart and strong. There is no way these kids would crawl up in my lap in real life. I'd be a stranger. A person to avoid. With the suit on I represent something good and pure and holy. I represent something familliar.
I have the power to give them a great experience or do irrepairable damage in the 5 min they are with me. I could growl, strike, trash bunny land, chase them, or any number of things that would require thousands in therapist bills.
In my hand I hold the power of faith. If I abuse my power...I change what they believe.
It's terrifying.
Through the mesh of the mask I see people. We all walk through this mall having had our beliefs altered somehow. So many broken hearted, struggling to trust love. Each time we get bit, our faith shrinks further. We exist in shadow and self-preservation believing that the guy in the bunny suit, no matter how good and snuggly he looks, will probably do somehing hurtful in the end.
We start to believe that it simply isn't worth trying. We consider that, even though clearly it would be awesome to hang with the Easter Bunny, crawling up in his lap and letting oneself go is just too risky. The perimiter is safe...it might be less satisfying, but I won't die by bunny attack today. It's better if I keep my options open rather than giving all to the bunny...or to love.
I know Jesus had to have felt it on his way to the cross. The potential for all of this to go very wrong had to seem high. He could have lost it all...believing in promises...and never saw his life return - never to know love again. But he kept walking, believing that he could totally submit and love would find him again.
In so many ways, a life of temporary relationships, career focus, chemical abuse, or amusement just seems safer. I don't expect them to love me or be here in the end. I know they come and go. They are for the moment...at least it's clear. When the moment is over and I'm left with nothing but the empty, there's no hard feelings because there was no expectations.
I've decided I want love. I don't say that with confidence...I say it like my young friends come to the bunny. I move real slow staring straight ahead for clues indicating if it's safe.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
endurance
You might be able to title this entry - "what I learned from the bunny flu; part 2". The illness spread to every bunny - 24 hours of suffering and one day of shakey recovery and we were all back in buisness.
Well...not all of us.
Suffering produces lots of different reactions in people, but there are two main categories - keep going or quit. I've been struck by the concept of quitting this week. Anything worth doing in life will have adversity. Adversity challenges our love our commitment and our joy along the journey. Some people give up their spot because they get challenged or get tired or it stops being fun or they come down with a nasty case of Bunny Flu. Others see it as an opportunity to prove who they are and demonstrate the value of who they journey for or why they journey at all. These are the ones who, at the end of the path, find a crown.
The rest....it's an endless cycle of starting but never finishing. They never get to see the end of any road or have much to show for the time spent on the road.
Jesus' journey toward Easter had more than it's fair share of hard things...even without the cross. He kept going. He never gave up his spot. He saw his journey to completion.
So, it's another day. I'm going to go put on my furry petri dish and pray for the grace to finish my walk.
Well...not all of us.
Suffering produces lots of different reactions in people, but there are two main categories - keep going or quit. I've been struck by the concept of quitting this week. Anything worth doing in life will have adversity. Adversity challenges our love our commitment and our joy along the journey. Some people give up their spot because they get challenged or get tired or it stops being fun or they come down with a nasty case of Bunny Flu. Others see it as an opportunity to prove who they are and demonstrate the value of who they journey for or why they journey at all. These are the ones who, at the end of the path, find a crown.
The rest....it's an endless cycle of starting but never finishing. They never get to see the end of any road or have much to show for the time spent on the road.
Jesus' journey toward Easter had more than it's fair share of hard things...even without the cross. He kept going. He never gave up his spot. He saw his journey to completion.
So, it's another day. I'm going to go put on my furry petri dish and pray for the grace to finish my walk.
Friday, March 19, 2010
bunny flu
It's been a couple of days since I've written because of a nasty thing we have called The Bunny Flu. Seems that if there are a lot of people sweating and breahing inside of a bunny head, disease spreads.
Nasty
We were all sick, and some of us it hit harder than others. Things were coming out of me from all points. It was awful.
Most of us rose to the situation and worked through the pain. After all, we chose this. We didn't choose to be sick, but we chose the circumstances that led to the experience.
Today my boy is sick.
Bunny Flu has gone after the next generation.
When the people I love carry the consequences of my choices, it adds an additional weight. I didn't like being sick, but it was my natural path. Jack is collateral damage. That feels unacceptable
It reminds me that there are no victimless choices in life. Each choice we make has ripple effects - for good or bad. Even a choice not to choose changes history.
It feels like a heavy burden
I better hold tighter to His coat
Nasty
We were all sick, and some of us it hit harder than others. Things were coming out of me from all points. It was awful.
Most of us rose to the situation and worked through the pain. After all, we chose this. We didn't choose to be sick, but we chose the circumstances that led to the experience.
Today my boy is sick.
Bunny Flu has gone after the next generation.
When the people I love carry the consequences of my choices, it adds an additional weight. I didn't like being sick, but it was my natural path. Jack is collateral damage. That feels unacceptable
It reminds me that there are no victimless choices in life. Each choice we make has ripple effects - for good or bad. Even a choice not to choose changes history.
It feels like a heavy burden
I better hold tighter to His coat
following the master into the bunny patch
As I mentioned, this blog is about Easter - from the persective of the Easter Bunny. It's been quite a ride so far.
The goal was, quite frankly, to make some money. It's been a tough year to say the least. I'm a career minister who has spent his entire life in the persuit of the Kindgdom of God. When it comes to income, I've always been able to leverege my skills in this area. For fear of sounding arrogant, I'm good at what I do. Being the Easter Bunny was, shall we say, not at the top of the list.
It's a humble path laid before me...but as always, I met Jesus here on the road.
The familliar platform is easy to desire by people like me. There might be some craving of the spotlight, but there is far more of a wish to do good and use my skills/gifts to make a difference. It's easy to see something like being dressed as a bunny as a demotion, or a waste of skill. No one can even see me. I'm sure the assumption is that under the suit is some rejected carney and we've all agreed to pretend that it's Brad Pitt. I'm neither - but no one will ever know. They won't know that I've spoken the wonders of God to thousands and been witness to changed lives or that my "real job" is an organizational consultant for church youth ministries.
Because none of that matters. Today, I'm called to be faithful as the bunny.
As a result, I have been able to be part of a hub of blessing. I've been able to be an encouragent to Brandon at the mall Starbucks, a support to Carol, an avenue of provision for Bethany, build great story with Ray, be a rock for Judy, and an example of grace to everyone on the team...and they have been that for me.
Sometimes the church doesn't meet on Sunday.
Sometimes it's furry.
I'm learning that blessing comes by following the humble rabbi down a path that you wouldn't have chosen for yourself. Jesus knew he was going to the cross - even asked His Father if there was another job available. Beyond the suffering - the cross was humiliating. I'm sure he felt that being stripped and hung was a poor use of who he was. There were more to heal, teach, and love to greatness.
But He was the only one who could do what he did so God could bring grace to the world.
Maybe I'm the man for this job so God can bring more grace.
Not a bad job.
The goal was, quite frankly, to make some money. It's been a tough year to say the least. I'm a career minister who has spent his entire life in the persuit of the Kindgdom of God. When it comes to income, I've always been able to leverege my skills in this area. For fear of sounding arrogant, I'm good at what I do. Being the Easter Bunny was, shall we say, not at the top of the list.
It's a humble path laid before me...but as always, I met Jesus here on the road.
The familliar platform is easy to desire by people like me. There might be some craving of the spotlight, but there is far more of a wish to do good and use my skills/gifts to make a difference. It's easy to see something like being dressed as a bunny as a demotion, or a waste of skill. No one can even see me. I'm sure the assumption is that under the suit is some rejected carney and we've all agreed to pretend that it's Brad Pitt. I'm neither - but no one will ever know. They won't know that I've spoken the wonders of God to thousands and been witness to changed lives or that my "real job" is an organizational consultant for church youth ministries.
Because none of that matters. Today, I'm called to be faithful as the bunny.
As a result, I have been able to be part of a hub of blessing. I've been able to be an encouragent to Brandon at the mall Starbucks, a support to Carol, an avenue of provision for Bethany, build great story with Ray, be a rock for Judy, and an example of grace to everyone on the team...and they have been that for me.
Sometimes the church doesn't meet on Sunday.
Sometimes it's furry.
I'm learning that blessing comes by following the humble rabbi down a path that you wouldn't have chosen for yourself. Jesus knew he was going to the cross - even asked His Father if there was another job available. Beyond the suffering - the cross was humiliating. I'm sure he felt that being stripped and hung was a poor use of who he was. There were more to heal, teach, and love to greatness.
But He was the only one who could do what he did so God could bring grace to the world.
Maybe I'm the man for this job so God can bring more grace.
Not a bad job.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
nice bunny
It's amazing how hard parents work to get the happy Easter bunny picture to send to all the relatives. The child could be screaming as adults are flinging themselves about trying to get Junior to forget that he has been placed in the care of a giant rodent long enough to produce a reasonable smile. We all cheer when, through tear-stained cheeks, the joy of Easter appears for the briefest of moments, an we capture it on film.
In short, many of our pictures are bald-faced lies.
Again, don't read the words of a cynic. I just wonder how the world would change if we told the truth and didn't pretend that all is well when it clearly isn't.
If God is a God of truth, isn't it reasonable to assume that truth is the arena where he acts? If he wants to do good things for us, then my guess it's when we are being honest and not sugar coating.
So, I'm considering a life where if I'm scared of the bunny then that is the picture we are taking. Then maybe God will assure me that it's truly a nice bunny
In short, many of our pictures are bald-faced lies.
Again, don't read the words of a cynic. I just wonder how the world would change if we told the truth and didn't pretend that all is well when it clearly isn't.
If God is a God of truth, isn't it reasonable to assume that truth is the arena where he acts? If he wants to do good things for us, then my guess it's when we are being honest and not sugar coating.
So, I'm considering a life where if I'm scared of the bunny then that is the picture we are taking. Then maybe God will assure me that it's truly a nice bunny
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