Category: Easter

Dying to Defensiveness – How Silence Can Make Us More Like Jesus

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Last Wednesday, I attended the Ash Wednesday contemplative service at my church. What a blessing to take an hour to simply rest and ponder the sacrifice Jesus made for us, for me. At various stations, we had the opportunity to read Psalms, take communion, remember Gethsemane, etc. When I read this verse, I was moved to tears despite its familiarity:
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face. John 19:1-3

To continue reading, click over to Circles of Faith.

In The Middle

Posted on by Susan Panzica


Today we are in the middle.
Yesterday was Good Friday –
the pain of suffering,
despair, heartache,
the event that left us full of tears

Tomorrow is Easter –
the joy of new life,
resurrection,
rising from the ashes of pain

Today we are just in the middle-
the preparing for tomorrow’s feast,
tomorrow’s worship,
tomorrow’s new garments


Do you ever feel – in the middle? Having survived tragedy or loss, but still waiting for the future hope and peace that is promised? We must wait, but not as those with no hope. It was while Jesus was waiting that He set the captives free.

When I was in Israel, one of the most powerful moments for me was at the Garden Tomb. I entered the empty tomb, and after my eyes adjusted to the darkness, saw the white garments folded on the stone bench. Turning to exit the tomb and enter the light, I saw a rough, wooden sign that read:

“He is not here;
he has risen,
just as he said.”
Matt. 28:6


Seeing those words in that place was a powerful reminder that He has risen – JUST AS HE SAID! What else did He say?

We have been healed:

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”-1 Peter 2:24


We have a future:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

So we must:
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” – Titus 1:2
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, 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. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:2-3

Today, while still in the middle, this is my prayer for you:
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13

May you have a most blessed Resurrection Day! May you rejoice with Him who rose from the dead to give you eternal life, who endured the darkness to bring us with Him into the light. And may you be preparing for the ultimate feast, worship and garments yet to come!!

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This cannot be the end….

Posted on by Susan Panzica
This poem, written by Maude Carolan Pych, a truly gifted poet of the North Jersey Christian Writers Group, is so powerful I couldn’t NOT share it with you.
May this minister to you this Good Friday.

THE PIETA
After the earthquake
the peals of thunder
the flashes of lightening across the sky
After the curious crowds dispersed
Mary sat in ominous dimness
upon a mound of earth
at the base of The Cross
holding the body
of her Son
She cradled Him
in the hollow of her lap
close to her bosom
as she had
when he was
her baby boy
Mary removed
thorns of mockery
that encircled His forehead
and tossed it to the side
Straining to see in the shadows
she carefully picked
fragments of thorn needles
still stuck in His lifeless flesh
although they couldn’t hurt Him
any longer
With her fingertips
she tenderly closed the lids
over His dark, vacant eyes
and smoothed
the disheveled, matted hair
…then she kissed Him
O my beautiful Son…
Tears flowed
down her face onto His cheeks
mingling with dried blood
With the edge of her garment
she wiped some blood away
John came
and rested his hand
upon her trembling shoulder
He was now her son
She was now his mother
Mysteries
too deep to comprehend
swirled in her mind
like the flap and flutter
of wings and overshadowing
Son of the Most High
and David’s throne
like pregnant Elizabeth’s joy
when the baby leapt in her womb
and the Baptizer himself, when grown
proclaiming his younger cousin
“The Lamb of God, Who
takes away the sin of the world”
and Simeon’s prophesy
that Jesus would be
a Light of revelation
to the Gentiles and the glory
of the people of Israel
Where is the Light?
Where is the glory?
Where is the throne?
Overwhelmed by sorrow
so intense it stabbed her
deep, deep in her inner parts
Mary cried out in anguish
and rent her robe
Was this what old Simeon meant
long ago in the Temple
when he held Jesus in his arms
and said a sword would pierce
my very soul?
O my Son, my beautiful Son…
I cannot fathom the ways of God, but
I do know this cannot be the end
Maude Carolan Pych

Thank God ~ that was not the end!

Wishing a blessed Resurrection Day to all!

Three Days Ago

Posted on by Susan Panzica
Today’s poem come from fellow member of the North Jersey Christian Writers Group, Clare Cartanega. Clare writes faith based sci-fi, inspirational messages, short stories, and the occasional poem, all in devotion to her Creator. She has numerous articles published and is seeking publication for her sci fi novel. Her character Zerilius writes the blog Confessions of a Mega-Genious.

Three Days Ago

When we talk today,
His voice is not anguished with a plea that I stay awake;
His brow is not beading red with anticipated pain,
His heart not split with the stab of betrayal.

When we talk today,
His face is not marred with a torn beard,
His hair not tangled with broken thorns,
His back not burning with lacerated flesh.

When we talk today,
His mouth is not dripping with rejected sour wine,
His side not gaping with merciless curiosity,
His body not shamed without handspun robes.

When we talk today,
His perfection is complete in beauty,
His honor surrounding in a cloud of glory,
His evidence of three days before, the scars on His hands and feet.

Dear friends,
May you all have a glorious Resurrection Sunday as we rejoice in our risen Lord!

In the middle …

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Today we are in the middle.
Yesterday was Good Friday –
the pain of suffering,
despair, heartache,
the event that left us full of tears
Tomorrow is Easter –
the joy of new life,
resurrection,
rising from the ashes of pain
Today we are just in the middle-
the preparing for tomorrow’s feast,
tomorrow’s worship,
tomorrow’s new garments

Do you ever feel – in the middle? Having survived tragedy or loss, but still waiting for the future hope and peace that is promised? We must wait, but not as those with no hope. It was while Jesus was waiting that He set the captives free.

When I was in Israel, one of the most powerful moments for me was at the Garden Tomb. I entered the empty tomb, and after my eyes adjusted to the darkness, saw the white garments folded on the stone bench. Turning to exit the tomb and enter the light, I saw a rough, wooden sign that read:

“He is not here;
he has risen,
just as he said.”
Matt. 28:6



Seeing those words in that place was a powerful reminder that He has risen – JUST AS HE SAID! What else did He say?

We have been healed:
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”-1 Peter 2:24

We have a future:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

So we must:
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” – Titus 1:2
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, 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. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:2-3

Today, while still in the middle, this is my prayer for you:
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13

May you have a most blessed Resurrection Day! May you rejoice with Him who rose from the dead to give you eternal life, who endured the darkness to bring us with Him into the light. And may you be preparing for the ultimate feast, worship and garments yet to come!!

Why Is This Night Different?

Posted on by Susan Panzica
This week, I’ve been sharing poems written by members of our writers group at our meeting earlier this month. Today, I’m sharing mine.

Growing up in a Jewish home, I fondly remember our annual Passover seders. We weren’t a religious family, but the seder was a yearly tradition. I picture my mom’s sparkling table set with plates of gefilte fish (Yuk! Just what kind of a fish is a gefilte anyway?), the bowls of matzoh ball soup, brisket, and courses of other food I loathed. But then… it wasn’t about the food. Last year on this blog, I shared some signficant Passover traditions. [http://tinyurl.com/45xnvhq]

Today’s poem is based on one element of the Passover seder – The Four Questions. Technically it is one question with four answers. The question:

Ma nishtanah halailah hazeh mikol haleilos?
Why is this night different from all other nights?

With that thought, the following poem tumbled out my brain and onto my pad. It’s so far from polished (we only had about 20 minutes to write our poems) that I’m a little shy about sharing it, but we’re all friends, right? So here goes:

Why Is This Night Different?

Why is this night different?
What is not the same?
Tonight the Lamb, the Perfect One,
Would for me be slain.

So long ago in Egypt land
The people to be delivered
Chose a pure and spotless lamb
A sacrifice called the Passover.

Ten plagues of locusts, frogs, and blood
The last – their first born sons
All foretold the future of
When God’s Son, His triumph won.

Each spring, we stop to remember
At the Feast of Unleavened Bread
The pain, the loss, the suffering
And the One who rose from the dead.

Bruised and battered, striped and scarred
The Lamb was spent for me
So that after my debt was paid
He rose in victory.

Sweet communion, the bread and blood
He shared with those loved He
Partake my friends, Do not forget
Do this in remembrance of Me.

So what’s the difference tonight we ask?
Not that we recline
Or eat the herbs or drink the wine
Now salvation is forever mine.

PRECIOUS AND BELOVED LORD

Posted on by Susan Panzica
Today’s poem comes from Ann Crediford, another faithful member of the North Jersey Christian Writers Group.

PRECIOUS AND BELOVED LORD


Thank you
for your
purity,
grace,
and majesty when in obedience to your
father, you were willing to be betrayed,
rejected,
mocked,
spat upon,
beaten,
whipped,
nailed,
and pierced
for my sin.

Ann’s testimony:
I was an agnostic until middle-aged. I got saved in church, led by a very special pastor. Our teenaged daughters started attending a Bible church. Concerned about what that might be, I started going with them to check out the church. After many, many salvation messages, finally I believed. Now I attend an Assembly of God church in Wanaque, NJ. We have two daughters and four grandchildren who live in Rockland County, NY.

What Was God Doing?

Posted on by Susan Panzica
This month is National Poetry Month, and coincidentally (if you believe in that sort of thing) our writers group’s theme this month was poetry. Speaker Maude Carolan, poet laureate of our little band of scribes, presented a session that included her own extraordinary works, one of which I share with you today. Later in the week, I will share other poems that were written at the meeting. Because this month, we celebrate Easter, our assignment was to create a poem on that topic. While not quite Maude’s caliber, these poems [written in a half hour’s time!] were remarkable – amazing works that are unmistakably divinely inspired.

The Love of The Father – by Adam Ortiz

WHAT WAS GOD DOING?

What was God doing?
What was He thinking
high up in heaven
when the Great Climax was unfolding
and His only begotten Son was sweating hemorrhages of blood
in fervent prayer before Him, that night in the garden?

What was God doing?
What was He thinking
high up in heaven
when His Son was pleading
for the removal of that great Grail of suffering
yet in submission acquiesced to His Father’s higher will?

What was God doing?
What was He thinking
high up in His Heaven
during the sentencing and scourging, spitting and mocking,
as His Pascal Lamb carried the crude crossbeam to Calvary,
falling and falling and falling again?

What was God doing?
What was He thinking
high up in His Heaven
when they stripped His Beloved,
held His hand to the beam and lifted the hammer
and pounded the spike through sinless flesh?
Did He hold His ears? Did He turn away?
Did His tears pour down as the blood ran down?
Did he pound His fist? Scream?

What was God doing?
What was He thinking
high up in His Heaven
when His Son cried, “Why…hast Thou…forsaken Me?”
Victory was so close Did He almost change His mind?

What was God doing?
What was He thinking
high up in His Heaven
when it finally was finished?
Was His heavy heart throbbing
as He darkened the sky and quaked the dry earth,
opened old graves and breathed life into the dead?
was it with grief or great jubilation
that He tore asunder the curtain to the Holy of Holies?

What oh what was God thinking
at that climax of climaxes
with Satan and sin squashed under His heel,
and after the Ascension,
at Their glorious reunion,
did Father and Son
dance the Hora in Highest Heaven?

Maude Carolan

Maude Carolan Pych publishes a quarterly poetry e-newsletter, “It’s all about …The Lamb” for lovers of the Lord who also enjoy poetry. The purpose of this poetry letter is to magnify the Lamb of God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and inspire an ever-deepening relationship with Him, the lover of our souls.

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” Rev 5:12 NASB

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