Easter Cantata: "What Love Is This?"

Easter Cantata “What Love Is This?”By: Larson, McDonald, Nix, Parks & Shackley

“Sing Forth His Glorious Name” “Hiding In the Shadows” “A Price We Can Pay”  Duet: Beth Costner & Lisa Swetnam, Soloist: Al Quarles - (Judas) “Do This In Remembrance of Me”  Soloist: Jeff Wilcox (Jesus) “Gethsemane” “What Love Is This?” Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross Crown Him the Lord of Life! Director - Ray Lautzenheiser Pianist - Betty Farrington Narrator - Greg Adams Sound - Parker Carter

Choir Members Sherilyn Brewer,  Tina Corbett, Beth Costner, Yvonne Lautzenheiser, Diana McMillan, Janice Miller, Wayne Miller, Steve Nyberg, Don Osborn, Peggy Palmer, Lynn Prater, Al Quarles, Aubrey Smith, Karen Sturkie, Lisa Swetnam, and Jeff Wilcox

Holy Week and Easter: What's It All About

Holy Week and Easter: What’s It All About?  

The overwhelming tendency is to look at all the sayings and actions of Jesus as He moves from the Triumphal Entry to Easter as that of one who is on a mission that only He understands. As time runs short, Jesus talks to Pharisees, disciples, and the masses. He invokes emotions ranging from utter hatred to concerned confusion. He weeps over Jerusalem, cleanses the Temple, takes on the inquisition of the Pharisees and Sadducees, applauds the widow with her two mites, teaches about the end of the age, celebrates the Passover instituting the Lord’s Supper, prays vehemently for His disciples and for Himself to finish His work, goes to trial, the cross, the tomb and Resurrection! Wow! But what’s it all about?

Some may say Jesus was a victim of the powers that be. He became a lightning rod against the abuses he saw and the leaders took Him out for good; or so they thought. Others may say He could not accomplish what He wanted and so, became a victim of His own undoing. He made himself so volatile that he forced the authorities to make Him a martyr for His cause. Thereby, He would not have to live with the reality of His failure. These explanations miss the mark.

A closer reading gives light to the fact that Jesus was right on the mark for His purpose and that He succeeded in doing all things He came to do. Nothing was left out. All was as planned. Time and again we read. “that the scriptures might be fulfilled.” It was all a heavenly plan carried out on earth to bring salvation to us. From the tiniest detail of riding a donkey, to His clothes being gambled for; to the big things of His blood shed for the sins of us all, to His body not decaying but being resurrected, all confirms the master plan that only Jesus could accomplish. And what He did, He did for you. You are what it’s all about! -- Ben