Take up your cross . . . what does that mean?

Date: March 4, 2012

Liturgical Sunday: Second Sunday in Lent

RCL Scripture: Psalm 22:23-31; Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Romans 4:13-25; Mark 8:31-38

Sermon Title: Take up your cross . . . what does that mean?

Knox Presbyterian [audio:https://wordsfromthemiddle.ca/wp-content/uploads/120304_-_Knox.mp3|titles=Take up your cross . . . what does that mean?]

St. Mark’s Presbyterian [audio:https://wordsfromthemiddle.ca/wp-content/uploads/120304_-_St_Marks.mp3|titles=Take up your cross . . . what does that mean?]

I just realized that I made a liturgically significant typo in last week’s blog post. Last week was not the first Sunday of Lent but the first Sunday in Lent. It may not sound like too much to some of you but to others, it just makes their hair curl.

This Sunday we are looking at what it might mean to us to “take up our cross.” It is yet one more very well known, virtually proverbial, statement in the Bible; and as such may richly repay further examination. As I have mentioned on this blog and from the pulpit, it is almost always a good idea to go back and look again at what we already know. Not, from the perspective that what we already know must be wrong, but in the same way that looking again out our loved ones provides new reasons to love what we have always loved; looking again at what we know provides new insights into what we already know.

So, what cross might you be asked to carry? As I mention specifically in the St. Mark’s sermon and allude to in the Knox sermon, we may not be able to carry each other’s crosses but we can help. If you would like some help . . . just let me know.

Warm blessings,

Barry