Take up your cross

0:00

Today is Thursday the 19th of February, in the season of Lent.

Jon Guerra sings, ‘Take Up Your Cross’. Today, we will pray with the passage this song is about. It’s definitely a challenging one... But let this song help you and guide you into prayer.

If anyone would come after me

Let him deny himself

Take up his cross

Follow me

Whoever would save his life

Will lose it

Whoever loses his life for me

Will find it

If anyone claims to worship God

Let him give all away

Take up his cross

Follow me

Whoever would save his life

Will lose it

Whoever loses his life for me

Will find it

What would it profit a man

If he gains the whole world

And forfeits his soul

What would it profit a man at all

What would it profit a man

If he dies with a barn full of silver and gold

What would it profit a man at all

If anyone would come after me

Let him deny himself

Take up his cross

Follow me

3:14

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 9:22-25

[Jesus said] ‘The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’

Then he said to them all, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves.

4:42

The Persistence of Hope

Jeff Wahl

“Those who want to save their life will lose it.” What might wanting to “save your life” mean? Can you think of someone you know of, who lost out on life because they wanted to save their life, or perhaps cling on to something in their life?

“And those who lose their life for my sake will save it.” Can you think, on the other hand, of anyone you know of, who saved their life or gained life in some way, by giving up their life, or control of their life, or by sacrificing something very important to them?

Some people think of these words of Jesus as rhetoric, a kind of poetical overstatement. Other people find them very challenging; they think, “I don’t take up my cross every day. Perhaps my life is too cushy”. Others don’t know what to think and still wonder what Jesus really means by these words. As you hear them again, try to listen with new ears, and see if some particular meaning or sense comes through to you.

8:04

Luke 9:22-25

[Jesus said] ‘The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’

Then he said to them all, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves.

9:17

However you are feeling now – challenged, enlightened, or perhaps still wondering – bring those feelings to God who is present here now. Speak to him openly about what it might be he is saying to you, and how you want to respond.

11:40

You have given all to me

To you, Lord, I return it

Everything is Yours, do with it what you will

Give me only Your love and Your grace

That is enough for me.