(Author’s note: This article was first written and first appeared in the March 2021 newsletter of First United Methodist Church of Winnfield, LA “The Cross and Tower”)
I have been thinking about the cross quite a bit lately. Yes, it is because my message series during Lent is titled “At the Cross” and each week I am thinking about something that Jesus did or encountered on his way to the cross. Yes, it is because I asked my congregations (and I have joined them) to literally carry a cross during Lent. Yes, it is because it is the season of Lent and I am preparing to walk spiritually with Jesus to the cross that I might fully experience the hope and joy of the resurrection on Easter.
With the cross so much on my mind, I was struck by this image of the cross at FUMC Winnfield one evening as I was leaving church. What struck me was not so much the cross, but the shadow. The shadow was even larger than the cross. I immediately thought of a verse of the old hymn “Beneath the Cross of Jesus” that goes this way: “3. I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place; I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of his face; content to let the world go by, to know no gain nor loss, my sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.” What if we dwelt in the shadow of the cross? What if we lived each day considering and remembering what Jesus did for us through his life, death, and resurrection? How would it change us? How would it change the world?
I am not the only one thinking about the cross. When I was in Israel, I had the honor and privilege of walking the Via Dolorosa (the way of suffering) several times, pausing at the stations of the cross. Still today, you can walk the Via Dolorosa and even carry your own cross if you would like. You can even walk the Via Dolorosa virtually and visit the Stations of the Cross in Jerusalem on YouTube here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc_KzfpGTwU&list=PL4m2vXv9xNr-CsbtxaH-q-RQsYw7296gv&index=3&t=22s or other places online. Mel Gibson’s R rated film “The Passion of the Christ” truthfully and brutally shows what Jesus did for us. You can even read a 1986 article from the Journal of American Medicine “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ” here: https://people.bethel.edu/~pferris/ot103/Jesus_Crucifixion.pdf, though be warned, it is not for the faint of heart.
Take some time this Lent. Think about the cross. Think about what Jesus did and how much it cost him. Then allow its shadow to fall upon you. Feel its weight, suffering and shame. Only by considering the sacrifice at the cross can we experience the true of joy of Easter. Join me in the shadow of the cross. There is enough room for all.
Dwelling in the Shadow of the Cross,
Kevin Smith
Instead of preaching to a congrega
The good news is that we follow a God who is always asking us to do things in a new way. Isaiah 43:19 says “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” God is always in the process of doing new things, but we do not always see it. God’s promise is that even in the darkest of days, in the wilderness or in the desert, God will make a way for us.
the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” It is easy to become distracted while playing ball, and it is easy to become distracted in life. In life, we can become distracted by the busyness of life, work, school, family, and so many other things. While those things are not bad things, they can distract us and take our focus off of Jesus, “the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
(Author’s note- this article was written for the October edition of The Cross and Tower Newsletter for FUMC Winnfield)
Window Number Nine (in memory of James and Ella Russell) in the Balcony is divided by the cross, seen more distinctly from the outside of the church, is a contrast in its simplicity and carries out the arched theme seen throughout the sanctuary.
officiating, assisted by Rev. R. H. Staples and Rev. Edgar Dufrense. Survivors include three sons, J. G. Russell, Jr., of Winnfield, Lawrence Russell of Alexandria, and Donald Russell of Bossier City; three daughters, Mrs. Max Allen of Winnfield, Mrs. Clyde Corley, Bastrop, and Mrs. Charles Dark of Cleveland, Texas; 10 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.
Window Number Ten, lighted throughout the night, depicts Christ as the good shepherd. Recalling the beautiful passages of Psalms 23, we see the depth of Christ’s words, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays clown his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11). The life of service that Jesus lived and his sacrificial death have inspired the figure of a stalwart young man carrying a lamb. On the walls of the catacombs of Rome where the early Christians went to escape the Roman soldiers. there is found over 150 times the picture of the shepherd, reminding the faithful scattered sheep of their Good Shepherd whose care was unfailing at all times.
Sunday morning at about 4:30 as he was about his usual task of caring for his dairy cows. His grandson, Harold DeBray, who assists him during vacation time, seeing milk flowing down the hallway of the barn, went to see the cause and found Mr. Jackson dead.
Her obituary reads: Mrs. N. M. Jackson, 86, died at a local hospital early Friday morning, November 25, 1960. She had been in failing health for the past two years. Last rites were conducted at the First Methodist Church with the pastor, Rev. R. H. Staples, officiating. He was assisted by Dr. W. L. Holcomb of the First Baptist Church and by Rev. P. M. Carraway of Shreveport, former pastor of Winnfield. Burial was in the Winnfield Cemetery under direction of Southern Funeral Home.
(Author’s note: This is the manuscript for my message on August 5, 2018 at FUMC Winnfield and is the ninth in my “Windows to the Soul” sermon series expounding on the Christian symbolism present in our church buildings and sanctuary windows at FUMC Winnfield. My sources are listed at the end. Much of this information is from “FUMC Winnfield: Christian Symbolism and History” published in 2012. I decided to publish in case some were absent and would like to read my message.)
The lyre again represents praise or worship. Psalms 33:2 reads, “Praise the Lord with the lyre, make melody to Him with the harp of ten strings!”
The dove with olive branch is a symbol of peace. When Noah’s ark is used, it stands for salvation or more particularly the salvation which the Church affords. Thus it is often used as a symbol of the Church.
According to John 1:29, when John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” This and a similar statement in John 1:36 have brought into being two of our most meaningful symbols of Jesus Christ. One form of this symbol shows a lamb reclining on the Book of the Seven Seals mentioned in Rev. 5:1. The Easter banner symbolizes Christ’s victory over death.
revkevreflections 