Upon This Rock

Digging around through email, through devotional material, through the Bible this morning, I'm drawn to the passion story and the events and experiences of that last week. I think I want to dig into Peter's experience of the week from Palm Sunday to the Resurrection - blog some of it here, and jot down some notes for Sunday's Q&A morning discussion time, but mostly for me, to learn and grow and see what challenged him and what changed his life.

The Real Lesson - Henry Drummond

Every person has fallen at some time in his life - most, many times. Peter's steps in denying Christ have since been traced by every human foot. Anyone can understand how he could have slept in the garden, when he should have watched and prayed. Most of us feel an almost unconscious sympathy for him.

But there is something in Peter's life that is much greater than his sin. It is his repentance. We all too easily relate to Peter in his weakness, but few of us grasp the wonder of his change. Sinful Peter is one man, and repentant Peter another. That is the real lesson in his life...


"And Peter went out and wept bitterly."

[Daily Dig 03/21/2005 - Source: “Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter”]

There are portions of the gospel story where Peter looks like such a heroic figure, and other times where he's a complete bonehead. What happened to even him out? to give him stamina and courage to do what was called of him? Right now, I've got my moments of great work and incredible stupidity. Peter jumps off the page for trying to be the best leader he could be, and for messing things up, saying the wrong thing, splashing without faith. So been there, so done that.