The Stones Of Our Lives

The Stones Of Our Lives

(originally published by me in Hope4Marriages ministry newsletter, 4/9/07, sent on 4/8/07 at 9:16 pm)

I'm writing this on Good Friday night, knowing that I am sending it out after Easter Sunday. I wanted to share with you what the church where I serve does traditionally on Good Friday.

As one enters the sanctuary, each is given a small stone, pulled from one of the local rivers here, smoothed by the rushing waters of that river. If one were to break that stone open, you would have the rough hard jagged edge of rock. But that stone has been washed smooth.

That stone is quite a bit like sin. On the outside, it is smooth, polished, even attractive. But if you were to break it, inside the stone, it is rough, jagged, hard and cold.

The stone given to each person is a representation - A representation of our sins, our burdens. And as each person comes forward to the Lord's Table on Good Friday, they lay that stone they were given at the foot of the rough wooden cross on the communion table, and the table is draped in black. They place their sins, their burdens at the foot of the cross, and then take on Christ's yoke, as each person after laying down the stone takes the bread and grape juice, the symbols of Christ's body and blood, given for us, for our forgiveness, for the washing of our sins.

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:26 NIV)

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 NIV)

It is the blood of Christ that smoothes out the rough edges of our life, washing the rough edges of our sin away. But unlike the stone with rough edges when it is broken, when we are broken, our light shines through. Our brokenness and our broken marriages are a part of God's light in a dark world. In a world where marriage is disposable, we are the ones saying it is a love for a lifetime, as God designed.

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. (2 Corinthians 4:6-11 NIV)

After the services on Friday, the sanctuary is made ready for Easter Sunday. Those same stones placed at the foot of the cross become part of the Sunday morning celebration as well, as they are placed throughout the display of all the potted lilies, tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. They are a reminder to us that the story doesn't t end on Good Friday, that Christ rolled away the stone from the grave, so that we could see He was no longer there, but had raised from the dead, conquering sin, death and hell on our behalf.

They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " Then they remembered his words. (Luke 24:2-8, NIV)

Place your marriage at the foot of the cross, along with your spouse. You know that by doing so, it is not the end of the story. Then take up Him, and still more of Him, daily. Your light will grow and increase, shining brightly for the world to see. In God's timing, your faithfulness to your spouse and your marriage will be rewarded.

Be blessed, and be a blessing this week. He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Love in Christ,
Ruth Anne


Scripture marked "NIV" taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.