Textbook Armadillo

Of all the animal fighting styles:  Mantis, Tiger, Monkey, Viper, and even Crane - this new one seems to be getting the biggest laughs.  It's the armadillo fighting stance, and Robbie here seems to be doing a textbook version of it!

It was a fun morning at KidPak as always, as we continued our series "Kung Pow!"  Madison and the other kids laughed, and then learned about the virtue of self-control.  We had an illustration with Samson and Delilah, and of course a dubbed Kung Fu video as well.  There was so much to the service this morning, and did we mention it was Palm Sunday?

Daddy reaffirmed that much at night, as just before bed we read the Palm Sunday story in the Bible.  Madison has a few books dedicated to this season, so it was nice to open those up and read the Biblical background to the week.  The Easter bunnies are fun, but we must never lose focus on this reason for the most important week of the year.

Daddy did have to go back to set up lights for practice, and they are just now starting to get the new set up for our huge production:  "For God So Loved."

It'll be big.  There will be aerialists, and special music performances.  In the midst of that a story that Daddy helped conceive, one with Peter as the narrator.  He spends a lot of time talking to a boy, who we come to learn is Timothy.  There are a few other gems in there, things that are different from the standard passion play.  The message is not watered down though - but there is a lot of humanity surrounding the events.  The soldiers aren't all bad, nor are all the Pharisees.  Nicodemus is there, and if it weren't for him, there wouldn't even be the line, "for God so loved…"  And a Roman commander bows to Jesus, recognizing His authority, and ability to heal his servant.  Simultaneously, we see a different presentation of the scene at the Garden of Gathsemane, where there was initially a bit of combat - Peter actually cut someone's ear off.  But Jesus says, "I am He," and everyone drops.  Do we really think the soldiers were expecting that?  Rather than have them take Him away, the point is made: Jesus gave himself.  That's the point of the whole thing:  "For God so Loved."  It's possible that Nicodemus was there in the shadows of the garden - why not?  Other Pharisees were there.  And as he watches Jesus get carried away, perhaps he finally understands what John 3:16 is all about.  And as our focus goes to Peter and his failures, we see our humanity, and how much we need that grace.  There is no "Arise My Love" song this time around, but instead a poignant scene where Peter reunites with his Master.  Even after betrayal and death, Jesus is still serving others - cooking of all things, fish.  Peter would become a fisher of men, and walk in the grace and forgiveness that we can walk in as well.  Peter went to work after his betrayal.  He tried the church thing, and it didn't quite work out.  So he went fishing.  But Jesus came to him, standing there at the shoreline, calling out to him.  And in this production, we'll have Jesus calling out to all of those in the congregation that visit on Easter and Christmas.  Perhaps they've tried the church thing, and it didn't work out.  Well, here's Jesus at the edge of the stage.  And He's calling out to you once more.  Will you be like Peter?  He dove in the deep, and couldn't get to Jesus fast enough.  That's where he found mercy and forgiveness.  And that's where he found purpose once more.  Hopefully this weekend, we'll see others follow Peter's example.