"Denial at the Cross" - Alan Neale

7/29/2019 "Denial at the Cross" - Alan Neale

1/19

Good Friday 2013March 29th 2013

DENIAL

Noon

As the Three Hours begins, so there is anticipation and excitement of a new beginning, anew task, a new adventure.

We tend to like beginnings for they bring possibilities, sometimes almost quiteunimaginable and so we begin.

At nine oclock in the morning, they crucified him. The physical horrors, the verbalabuse all this is merely prequel for the main event the Cross is pulled up from theearth, suffers a severe jolt as it falls into the hole some minor abuse continues for awhile and then darkness.

Darkness the eye can hardly see, the heart can hardly beat, and the soul can hardlybreathe.

During this time of crucifixion, the disciples (well, most of them) are scattered; strewnabout like dry leaves on a blustery day. Everything is chaotic, disturbed, traumatic.

Today with our focus on the crucified one, we will also consider Peter as he undergoescrucifixion of soul will his pain never relent, will his anguish never end, will his shamenever abate?

Peters pain is caused by memory the memory of his denial, not once but three times.

Blustery Peter, always ready with a word, never hesitant to act this Peter is in anguish ashe recollects that he denied his Master, his Teacher, His Friend.

Heres no escape from this denial all four Gospels record this cowardly betrayal. ButMark and Matthew describe the dynamic of this denial in a particular way, listen:

Mark 14:66-68: A servant girl saw Peter warming himself by the fire, she stared at himand said, You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth. But he denied it, I do notknow or understand what you are talking about. Peter denies his Lord.

And then Mark 14:69-70: The servant girl, on seeing Peter, began to say to thebystanders, This man is one of them. But again he denied it. Peter denies his friends.

And, finally, Mark 14:70-71: After a little while, the bystanders said to Peter, Certainlyyou are one of them, for you are a Galilean [Matthew adds for your accent betraysyou!]. But he began to curse and swear and oath. Peter denies his very self.

Im not suggesting, at least I think Im not, that Mark and Matthew are portraying anddescribing some psychological and psychic progression from denial of God/High Power todenial of Community/Family to denial of Self. But I see here a dynamic of denial which maynot be progressive but surely is a danse macabre made of these very steps.


2/19

He denies God, He denies community, He denies himself. Do you, do I fit any, some, all ofthese stages, steps? Once long ago, not so long ago now?

And so that wretched cock crows and clarion clarity repeats the prophecy of Jesus sharedwith Peter, Before the cock crows twice, you will have denied me three times. No wonder

Peter went out, broke down and wept bitterly.

Some years ago an academic study was made on the means by which large institutionssuch as NASA and Lehman Brothers conspired to deny the truth that was expandingbefore them.

The study has one section entitled, The Re-Painting of Red Signs to Green, theImmobilization of Alarms.

As Peter begins his dance with denial, as he denies His God, so he re-paints those redsigns and immobilizes those alarms do you agree?

It seems that denial is part of our nature to avoid, to deflect, to turn aside, to ignore.

Governments will often turn to denial. Marianne Mollmann writes, When you work onhuman rights issues, you notice a certain pattern in government denial of abuse. [1st. Itdidnt happen. 2nd . If it happened, they did it to themselves. 3rd. If they didnt, we certainlyhad nothing to do with it and 4th. If we did, we didnt mean to.]. This works well, or it has inthe past, with issues of racism, rape and sexism to name a few.

And we will often turn to denial. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross named denial as the first of fivestages in the psychology of a dying patient; and the concept extends readily to survivorsas they hear news of a death. Thus, when parents are informed of the death of a child,their first reaction is often, No, you must have the wrong house; you cannot mean ourchild.

In The Essential Calvin and Hobbes , Calvin asks, What state do you live in?. Denialis the response. And the final word, Cant argue with that.

If we accept this as true that to be human is to be tempted to deny, were really notsurprised at Peter; and we really want to consider ourselves How have I denied God?.

[788]


3/19


DENIAL12:20pm

In his book Peace of Soul Fulton Sheen wrote these words:Those who deny guilt and sin are like the Pharisees of old who thought our Saviour had aguilt complex because He accused them of being whited sepulchersoutside clean,inside full of dead mens bones. Those who admit that they are guilty are like the publicsinners and the publicans of whom Our Lord said, Amen, I say to you, that the publicansand the harlots shall go into the Kingdom of God before you (Matt. 21:31). Those whothink they are healthy but have a hidden moral cancer are incurable; the sick who want to

be healed have a chance. All denial of guilt keeps people out of the area of love and, byinducing self-righteousness, prevents a cure. The two facts of healing in the physical orderare these: A physician cannot heal us unless we put ourselves into his hands, and we willnot put ourselves into his hands unless we know that we are sick. In like manner, asinners awareness of sin is one requisite for his recovery; the other is his longing for God.When we long for God, we do so not as sinners, but as lovers.

As I read this quotation, I am struck not by Sheens reference to the denial of guilt, butrather to the implicit denial that we have need of God those who think they are healthybut have a hidden moral cancer are incurable; the sick who want to be healed have achance. A physician cannot heal us unless we put ourselves into his hands, and we willnot put ourselves into his hands unless we know that we are sick denial of our need for

a doctor will lead to prolonged sickness, weakness, debilitation and even death.

The Cross in all its gore and glory, in all its pain and profundity, in all its agony and ecstasy the Cross declares most clearly that we are needy people and, generally, we dont likethis; we dont like it at all.

We buy into, or are urged persuaded cajoled to buy into that we are self-sufficient, self-made, self-driven. Of course, again, the story comes to mind when Oscar Wilde wasintroduced to a rather obnoxious dinner guest who averred strongly and often, I am aself-made man to which Wilde responded, Good that relieves the Almighty of an awfulresponsibility.

At the Cross we must observe our need for companionship (to John Jesus says, Behold yourmother, and to Mary he says, Behold your son).

At the Cross we must acknowledge our need for understanding, compassion andforgiveness Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.

At the Cross we must accept our need for hope Today you will be with me in Paradise.


4/19

The way of the Cross is the way of life ask any participant in a 12 Step Program, andthey will tell you Step One is crucial and must be followed completely and it begins Weadmitted we were powerless.

Even Jesus knew the spiritual vocation to, the sacred need for, surrender in Gethsemanehe prays in agony (dropping as it were tears of blood) Father let this cup (of suffering)

pass from me, but not my will but yours be done.

When Jesus is asked by his friends, how to pray he responds with a prayer that containsthese lines, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Kyrie eleison the ancient prayer sung, said, intoned, read throughout the centuries Lordhave mercy. Two words in Greek, three words in English declaring most clearly our need ofGod.

Just as the Evil Tempter tried to seduce Jesus and persuade him that he had no need ofGod, so today you and I are thus and often tempted.

Here is a mystery of faith portrayed so clearly and eloquently in words of St. Paul:

To keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger ofSatan to torment me. Three times I appealed to the Lord that this might leave me but theLord said to me, My grace is sufficient for you for power is made perfect in weakness. So Iwill boast of my weaknesses so that Christs power may rest upon me.

The Cross will not allow us to deny our need and it does this for our good. Surrender isthe key now and at that very last hour, final breath.

Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.

[765]


5/19


DENIAL

12:40pm

So, is there a cure for this nasty psychic disease of denial that destroys self and family,reputation and employment. Is there a balm in Gileadto cure the sin-sick, denial-riddensoul?

Well, on the website Karma Klear Activations I discovered some suggestions as to how todeal with the pattern of denial.

First, maybe not surprising (or should I practice denying my cynicism), first the reader isencouraged to buy and download an MP3 from the site. Second, relax while listening, donot listen while driving or working. And third, this can be done just for one day or as manytimes, for as many days, as seems necessary. And four, drink a glass of water before andafter listening and ensure that you drink at least 8 glasses of water each day.

Well, I appreciate the concern; I value the consideration but I believe God is offering ussomething today far more simple yet profound, far more direct yet involved.

When I consider the Cross, these words Icould make mine:

Lord I have left Thee, I have deniedFollowed the world in my selfish pride;Lord, I have joined in the hateful cry,Slay Him, away with Him, Crucify.Lord, I have done it, oh! Ask me not how;Woven the thorns for Thy tortured Brow!Yet in His pity so boundless and free,

Jesus, the Crucified, pleads for me.

And Jesus responds:

Though thou has left Me and wanderedaway,Chosen the darkness instead of the day;Though thou are covered with many astain,Though thou has wounded Me oft andagain.\,Though thou has followed they waywardwill;Yet, in My pity, I love thee still.Wonder of wonders, it ever must be!

Jesus, the Crucified, pleads for me.

Pondering the advice from my friends on Karma Klear Activations, I learn the need toreflect often, to reflect deeply, to reflect intentionally on the Cross and the Work of theCrucified Christ.

I should not be surprised, I should not be astonished, I should not be amazed that on theCross the Crucified Lord is showing compassion and love, forgiveness and acceptance.


6/19

This is how he lived, so this is how he died.

He invites the outcasts of society to eat and dine with him despite the objections of thereligious and self-righteous (self-righteous says it all really). I have come to seek andsave the lost, it is the sick who have need of a physician not the well.

Though one of his closest friends, Peter, misunderstands him, rebukes him and denies Jesus looks at him with compassion and sorrow and acceptance.

And one of the criminals (justly punished) seeks mercy, the Crucified King with His regalCrown of thorns bestows upon him the promise of a paradisial future all because of today,the day.

Pondering the advice from my friends at Karma Klear Activations, I learn that the remedyto denial must generally be often applied for the psychic disease comes often and forsome sad souls remains almost a constant and wretched companion.

Based on Jeremiah 8:22, The Balm in Gilead is a well-known Black-American Spiritual. In1854 Washington Glass printed the hymn in his Revivalist Hymnal, including a versewritten by John Newton

Here is the balm, here is the antidote for denial of God, of Truth and Of clinging self-sufficiency and chronic independence:

There is balm in Gilead,To make the wounded whole ;There's power enough in heaven,To cure a sin-sick soul.

How lost was my conditionTill JESUS made me whole!There is but one PhysicianCan cure a sinsick soul.

There is balm in Gilead,To make the wounded whole ;There's power enough in heaven,To cure a sin-sick soul.

Thanks be to God.

[630]


7/19


DENIAL

1:00pm

And now the second, the middle, hour. For nearly fifty years I have attended similarservices to this whether the service is held in pro-cathedral, university or country church;

whether the service is held in the plain and austere structure of an Episcopal Church inSouth Dakota or the romantic and mystic stone chapel of a Rhode Island church and nowthe august edifice of this building there is about this second hour a common feeling. Theexcitement of beginning is over, the anticipation of conclusion is yet to come here is theplodding, labored, slow-moving middle hour. This Wednesday evening past we conductedthe service of Tenebrae (a liturgy of light and darkness) at times it seems a long service,so much so that whenever I come to the staples in the center of the book, I look at mywatch and sigh.

Like us, but unbelievably more so, Jesus now enters into the ennui of this middle hour. Thiscries out for resources for fortitude, persistence and endurance; this is where hangingon is the game plan and this plan is sufficient, enough, adequate.

Maybe this is what a mid-life crisis is all about, maybe. Thanks be to God, then, for thepromise in Psalm 91:6 Thou shalt not be afraid for the arrow that flies at mid-day.

But back to denial.

We have seen how in his three-fold denial (according to Mark and Matthew) Peter firstdenies his Lord, then his community and then his very self.

When Jesus called the disciples he truly gathered together an odd group, a motley crew.Just as teenage children are sometimes tempted to walk in front or behind parents, somaybe some of the disciples were at times to withdraw from the band and appear

separate, distinct.

Maybe John the mystic felt distinct from doubting Thomas; maybe the political radicalismof Simon the Zealot did not mesh well with the practice of Matthew, a traitor and quislingto his people.

And yet they stayed in community. But here by this fire Peter wants to have nothing todo with them; he denies with vehemence any connection with this apostolic group. He


8/19

does not want to be tarred with the brush of a cross bearing community and to save hislife, if not his honour, he denies them all.

It occurs to me that there was some evidence of this tendency to be apart and aloof inPeters earlier days of discipleship. On the Mount of Transfiguration, neglecting the widercommunity, he is all set to stay put forever; on the beach and on the lake, it is Peter who

deserts his friends and leaps, lunges into action. These examples, and more, suggest therewere tendencies in Peter to see himself apart from his community; it all comes to agrievous head as he ferociously denies, I am not one of them.

Over recent years we have seen many fellow Episcopalians choose to dissociatethemselves from us they become part of a diocese based in Uganda, or they appropriatefor themselves falsely the name of Anglican. They wish for no welcome and would evenpossibly be embarrassed to embrace a Bible believing though liberal minded Episcopalian.

It is part of our DNA, it seems, to engage in denial. Whether it be denial of an historicalHolocaust or the denial of a heart-attack. AHA cites denial as a principal reason thattreatment of a heart attack is delayed. It is the responsibility of the care team, and of the

nursing staff in particular, to train at-risk patients to avoid such [patterns of denial].

Peter is telling us today that, as regards denial, we are all at risk patients and we needthe vigorous, sensitive care of clergy and others, of Bible and worship, to train us all toavoid such harmful, soul deadly, patterns of behaviour.

In Love Quotes for the Ages, specifically Ages 19-21 we read, To find out if she reallyloved me, I hooked her up to a lie detector. And just as I suspected my machine wasbroken.

[680]


9/19


DENIAL

1:20pm

In these three hours I am talking about denial the denial of Peter, foretold by Jesus that itwould happen before the cock crew twice.

But then also about the denial which tempts us as we approach the Cross; maybe even aswe sit here in seeming utter devotion, surmised humble observance and specious holyattention. We should not be surprised or even worried about mixed motives or hiddenagenda as we approach the Cross; first its human nature and second God knowsanyway and welcomes us, sincerely warmlyhappily.

Approaching the Cross we are tempted to deny the depth and agony of his suffering and,where denial attracts us mostwe wish to ignore, contradict, turn aside from the uttermystery (bordering surely on blasphemy) that God is dying here that here God dies.

Of course we muster all resources of denial to avoid any such conclusions. Profoundsuffering maybe the bravest amongst us will embrace and death of God thats for foolsand heretics.

Isaiah 53:2-8

The servant grew up before Godascrawny seedling,

a scrubby plant in a parched field.There was nothing attractive about him,

nothing to cause us to take a second

look.He was looked down on and passed over,a man who suffered, who knew pain

firsthand.One look at him and people turned away.

We looked down on him, thought hewas scum.But the fact is, it was our pains he carried

our disfigurements, all the thingswrong with us.We thought he brought it on himself,

that God was punishing him for his ownfailures.

But it was our sins that did that to him,that ripped and tore and crushed himour sins!He took the punishment, and that madeus whole.

Through his bruises we get healed.Were all like sheep whove wandered offand gotten lost.


10/19

Weve all done our own thing, gone ourown way.And God has piled all our sins, everythingweve done wrong,

on him, on him.

7-9 He was beaten, he was tortured,but he didnt say a word.

Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered

and like a sheep being sheared,he took it all in silence.

Justice miscarried, and he was led offand did anyone really know what was

happening?He died without a thought for his own

welfare,beaten bloody for the sins of my

people.

He was spat on, ridiculed, publicly humiliated as he was stripped naked; he was buffetedby blows, his crown of thorns caused blood to erupt as it was pushed and turned andturned again; on his bloodied back he carried a rough-hewn cross, then nailed, then left todie alone and in psychic misery.

We want to deny this for our sake, if not really for Jesus sake for Gods sake.

In the Lamentations of Jeremiah (1:12) we read:

Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like untomy sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of hisfierce anger.

Listen to words from Stainers Oratorio The CrucifixionFrom the throne of his cross, the King of grief cries out to a world of unbelief: Oh! Men andwomen, afar and nigh, is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Oh! Men and women, yourdeeds of shame, your sins without reason and number and name; I bear them all on thecross on high; is it nothing to you? Is it nothing to you that I bow my head? And nothing toyou that my blood is shed? O perishing souls to you I cry, Is it nothing to you? O come untome - by the woes I have borne, by the dreadful scourge, and the crown of thorns, by these,I implore you to hear my cry, Is it nothing to you? O come unto me - this awful price,redemption's tremendous sacrifice is paid for you. Oh. Why will ye die O come unto me.

And then mystery of mystery, that pushes us so near to the abyss it seems as if we cannotbut fall where denial almost becomes a theological essential, a philosophical parachuteis God dying here?

Time does not permit even the beginning of a proper reflection and yet here is theultimate consequence of the Incarnation, of the engagement of God with flesh. Here wehave no truck with early church heresies suggesting a convenient and timely departure ofGod from the human Jesus.

Here is mystery and denial is so very, very appealing but we know God was in Christreconciling the world to himself. How far will we go to rationalize our denial?

[792]


11/19

Good Friday 2013

March 29th 2013

DENIAL

1:40pm

So, is there a balm in Gilead for this sin-sick and denial prone soul?

Ah well the DMC rushes to our help; and please note that I said DMC not DNC!

DMC (Denial Management Counseling) is a treatment modality designed to assist peoplewith alcohol and drug related problems or (and please note) or other self-defeatingbehaviors that experience high levels of denial and treatment resistance.

Do you see how important this all is? If we surrender to denial in our spiritual or social life,if we begin to deny primal truths that we have long cherish and if we begin to denycommunities that have succored and supported us then we are on the road to exhibiting,possessing self-defeating behaviors. Forget some demon or demonic power; forget ournemesis and our own, very own, personal thorn in the flesh we can be defeated all byourselves!

DMC also states, Identifying and managing denial and resistance is often the missing link

in many programs that treat addiction or chronic pain. Do you, do I, have chronic psychic,emotional pain then maybe we need some DMC, some denial management counseling.By the way, I like the realism of this secular group denial is so innate, inborn, inherentthat its management (not removal) at least this side of the grave, but that is anotherglorious story lets wait for Easter Day!

DMC suggests four steps1. Interrupt patterns of denial2. Recognize potential addiction related, or other self-defeating life problems


12/19

3. Identify the problems and negative consequences and4. Motivate clients to accept a referral to the next level of treatment.

In theological terms, I see these four steps as1. Grace2. Acceptance

3. Confession and4. Sanctification

Or1. The intervention of the Saviour2. Salvation experienced then we have been saved3. Salvation experienced now we are being saved and4. Salvation to be experienced we will be saved

Step One there has to be an intervention of grace, an intervention of the Saviour. Andthe word became flesh so John writes in his Prologue to his Gospel. Here is the divine,cosmic entrance into the world of flesh and decay, of limitations and facticities here

primal word becomes concrete flesh; here Christ empties himself and takes on the formof a servant. Here the Son of Man comes not to be served but to serve and to give Hislife as a ransom for many.

If we wish to be saved, rescued, liberated from a life that plays with denial, treats it asinevitable then we require an intervention even more worthy of TV shows than are seen atpresent.

Matthew denies his God, his people, His very self he continues as a financial procurer forthe occupying forces. His reputation precedes him and denial is surely his only form ofsurvival and then the Saviour intervenes Matthew come down from that tree, today Iwish to eat at your home.

Paul has honors for persecuting the church, he probably teaches one of the popularcourses at Tarsus University How to rid the world of the scourge of Christianity. But allthis time he is fighting against the goads, he denies the truth that he confronts inScripture but then the Saviour intervenes and his life is turned around and never again,well rarely, is he tempted to deny the truth, His God and His community.

We need an intervention.

Step Two there must be an honest appraisal of the past; a readiness to accept thatliving without God and truth led to damage and hurt. Here we see the power of salvationand grace at work and this free us from the pathetic need to deny the past as if such anaction could change anything! Oh really!

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change no need for denial.

The final two other steps must be left to the next hour but a postscript for now

In his book, Capital, John Lancaster writes, Sometimes, though, you make a pact withyourself. Ill pretend theres nothing wrong if you pretend theres nothing wrong. Its called


13/19

denial, and its one of the strongest pacts in the world. Just ask those people who were stilldrinking champagne while the Titanic went down.

To be rescued from my tendency to denial, I must draw apart from those who breathedenial as the oxygen that gives them life. I must resign membership of the great club and

join with those as committed as they can, as they dare be to truth, and to its God.

[768]


DENIAL

2:00pm

So, now the final hour. Maybe now is the sense of the last sprint or dash towards thefinishing line, quite definitely toward the finish.

Because we are mixed emotions, confused motives, people we can begin to view the endof a task, of an era, of a program, of a life ambivalently. We so want it to end, to come to aconclusion and yet there is fear of what may come after the end what comes aprsdeluge?

I think its possible, reasonable, feasible for us to believe that Jesus anticipated the endwith some relief, the end would bring end of hostilities at least then no more painphysical emotional spiritual. But as his strength wanes, we can assume (cant we?)that his faith and trust begin to weaken too there is soon to come a moment of utterabandonment.

Oh yes we can view the end with ambivalence.

Together we have seen Peters threefold denial as some psychic progression (at least asrecorded by Mark and Matthew) the denial begins with God and all that is true, the denialcontinues as community/peers/compatriots are dismissed but now the final denial Youalso are a Galilean, your accent betrays you.


14/19

In De Profundis, Oscar Wilde wrote, To regret ones own experiences is to arrest onesown development. To deny ones own experiences is to put a lie into the lips of ones ownlife. It is no less than a denial of the soul.

So, as Peter denies his own experiences, he puts a lie into the lips of his own life. It is noless than a denial of the soul.

With our fellow travellers in life, it is all too easy to walk this scary, precarious, hazardouspath of denial.

It seems to be a latent virus within us all waiting for opportunity to attack and invade thesoul.

During the financial crisis of recent years, a senior white house aide told a financialanalyst empiricism thats not the way the world really works anymore and hecontinued, Were an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And whileyoure studying that reality, judiciously as you will well act again, creating other newrealities, which you can study too, and thats how things will sort out.

But in the life of the soul, thats not how things sort out. Peters denials led to acomplete breakdown he leaves all community (he goes out), his life is shattered (hebreaks down and weeps bitterly) and for a while the very center of his being, the reasonfor living, the core of his identity is surrendered by him and is snatched by the evil ofnothingness, of banality, of zero!

We may want to forget, avoid, to deny our familial past we have this sense that it hasshaped us, restricted us, harmed us. We think of it, if we think of it at all, with shame orembarrassment or pain of confusion. And so we move into the place of denial wherethere is comfort and relief though its all a shame and pretense, will do nothing for ourhealth and will last no longer than a passing cloud.

We regret some places we have been (emotionally, psychically or physically), somedecisions we have made, some opportunities we have lost. And so we move into the placeof denial where there is comfort and relief though its all a shame and pretense, will donothing for our health and will last no longer than a passing cloud.

As Peter denied his place of origin, his accent that defined him so, as Wilde reminds us, hedenies his very soul, his very soul.

With that final denial he becomes almost one of the walking dead with no inner life andprone to do damage to those who confront him.

[645]


15/19


DENIAL

2:20pm

In the previous two hours as we have reflected a little on the three-fold denial of Peter, wehave also reflected on the profound denials we make theologically, philosophically and inour discipleship.

12:20 we considered the denial we make of our urgent need to be saved, of the callthere is for us to surrender and admit that we cannot do all this by ourselves.

1:20 - we considered the denial we make of the suffering of God. Its as if, in some

random or intended act of kindness, we wish to put some cordon sanitaire around God toprotect Him and keep him safe (yes, its as silly and inane as it sounds). And then asreverently as possible I proposed that we so much want to deny that somehow God anddeath hold hands on the Cross at this point we want to deny the logical and inevitableconsequences of incarnation and engagement and our denial takes refuge in a Trinitarianavoidance and rationalization though Paul, I believe, makes this denial impossible as hespeaks of God in Christ reconciling the world to himself; and with same effect John as hesings so often this profound refrain The Father and I are one.


16/19

But now, 2:20, we consider our tendency to deny the exuberant, abundant, ecstatic love ofGod shown to us on the Cross.

Consider how many of the Seven Last Words speak of the intense love Jesus has for useven, maybe especially, on the Cross:

1. Today (because of today) you will be with me in paradise2. Woman behold your son, Son behold your mother3. Father forgive them

Three of seven speak eloquently and plainly of his intense love for us on the Cross (and, iftime allowed, I would show you how the other four also speak of love).

Again, from John Stainers Oratorio TheCrucifixion:

Though thou has left Me and wanderaway,

Chosen the darkness instead of the day;Though thou art covered with many astain,

Though thou has wounded me oft andagain,

Though thou hast followed thy waywardwill,

Yet, in my pity, I love thee still.

Wonder of wonders, it ever must be.Jesus the Crucified pleads for me.

And words from Charles Wesley:

And can it be that I should gainan interest in the Savior's blood!Died he for me? who caused his pain!For me? who him to death pursued?Amazing love! How can it bethat thou, my God, shouldst die for me?Amazing love! How can it bethat thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

In his A Story That Talks about Talking, Benson Bruno writes, Snufflers are afraid toexperience the abundant possibilities of air, its hidden flurries of ferment. The denial of lifeis strong in the nose-breather.

Now that quotation clearly arrested my attention! Maybe around the Cross with itsextravagant, demonstrative, even profligate display and offer of love I feel some fear toexperience its abundant possibilities, its hidden flurries of ferment. I know for sure, darnwell betcha, that long-term exposure to this love is going to change me, transform me.

As I sat my desk in a building steeped in history, exuding stability, declaring the presenceof august tradition and understated privilege so as I thought about the love of Godshown on the Cross, I was moved to write a poem or similar based on this theme His lovehas set my feet a-dancing. Nothing, as yet, has come of the poem but I discovered ahymn has been written on this theme and even, in the corridors of cyberspace, someonehad shared a prophecy that God had given him headed He set my feet to dancing, he setmy spirit free.

All this can seem too heady, too emotional, too discomforting but it will not make me livein denial of Gods love.


17/19

God shows His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us Romans 5:8

And, you can say this with me aloud or silently, John 3:16

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that whoever believes in Him shall

not perish but have everlasting life. God so love that he gave.

Do not deny, resist the temptation to deny, the love of God shown on the Cross for you!

[731]


DENIAL

2:40pm

Denial takes many forms and, therefore, an antidote has to be very appropriate.

G.A. Studdert-Kennedy, a noted Anglican minister in Birmingham, England and a rightlycelebrated chaplain during the 1st World War wrote this poem titled Indifference

When Jesus Came to Birmingham

When Jesus came to Golgotha, they hanged Him on a tree,They drove great nails through hands and feet, and made a Calvary;They crowned Him with a crown of thorns, red were His wounds and deep,For those were crude and cruel days, and human flesh was cheap.

When Jesus came to Birmingham, they simply passed Him by.They would not hurt a hair of Him, they only let Him die;


18/19

For men had grown more tender, and they would not give Him pain,They only just passed down the street, and left Him in the rain.

Still Jesus cried, 'Forgive them, for they know not what they do, 'And still it rained the winter rain that drenched Him through and through;

The crowds went home and left the streets without a soul to see,

And Jesus crouched against a wall, and cried for Calvary.

Maybe like the priest and the Levite in the story of the Good Samaritan (ouch! Bothprofessional religious people!), maybe like them our social standing prevents us fromoutright denial (that seems somehow rather rude, crude, impolite and sociallyunacceptable, it all seems rather uncouth. So they avoid the wounded man doubtlessrationalizing more pressing demands and defensively offering a prayer from the distanceand while on the move!

Several years ago a woman was stabbed to death there were 38 witnesses to this crimeand not one came to her defense.

To our delicate ears and sensitive stomachs confrontation is played as an aggressive,unattractive, even beastly word. We are wary of those who are confrontational but in sodoing praise and lift up those who look with shifty eyes, from an angle, somewhat distant.

As a parish priest I have sadly noted, observed and experienced that though there arethose who gripe and moan, complain and insinuate there are few who will own theircomments and publicly confront a situation with evidence. Even innuendo is a form ofavoidance, nay even denial.

Over these past days I have walked several times around our splendid new Stations of theCross; each time there has been a new insight, challenge, inspiration for me. One thoughthas remained constant the way Elizabeth Core has constructed these Stations theycannot be distinguished, or hardly so, from the side they must be confronted, seen faceto face, in order to really see rather than merely observe.

So it is with the Cross. A parishioner in a former parish that I served once said to me,without any apparent embarrassment (actually I am sure without any embarrassment) Idont do Good Friday!!!

For over 30 years I have tried to encourage church members to attend Holy Weekservices, a practice valuable to the soul in and of itself but also crucially valuable as apreparation for Easter celebrations.

I dont do Good Friday Id rather avoid it, pass it by and move rather smartly, asadroitly as possible from Palm Sunday to Easter Day.

Isnt this denial of a sort.

DMC (you remember Denial Management Counselling) has four steps to treat denial; thefirst two we considered at 1:40pm and now the final two

DMC suggests four steps 1. Interrupt patterns of denial


19/19

2. Recognize potential addictionrelated, or other self-defeating lifeproblems3. Identify the problems andnegative consequences and4. Motivate clients to accept a

referral to the next level oftreatment.

{In theological terms, I see these four steps as1. Grace2. Acceptance3. Confession and4. Sanctification

Or1. The intervention of the Saviour2. Salvation experienced then we have

been saved3. Salvation experienced now we are being

saved and4. Salvation to be experienced we will be

saved}

In other words having accepted the need for change and rescue, confess theproblem/the sin and then move to the next level of treatment and this continues for ever

for this is work of the spiritual journey, what is properly called the work of sanctification.

For we have been saved from denial, we are being saved from denial and by Gods kindpower we will be saved from denial and all its damage the soul.

Thanks be to God!

[688]

Documents

"Denial at the Cross" - Alan Neale