There is a high and holy place in scripture where we are invited to look into the very life of God. There, in the Holy of Holies, we see Jesus, our high priest, going before the Father on our behalf. His prayer not only reveals the heart of God, it reveals who we are as his children and why we exist.

As we lean in to listen, what does Jesus ask for all those who believe in him?

“…that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” – John 17:20-23

This union we are called to as the body of Christ is beautifully displayed as we walk together through the life of Jesus in the liturgical year. What glory has been given to us, but so many just don’t see it.

The irony is that in our hyper-connected world, we feel more disconnected from God and each other than ever.

That’s why The Christian Life Trilogy exists. The Crucified Life, The Resurrected Life and The Spirit-Filled Life are designed to transform lives and churches by drawing people deeper into the rhythm of the church year to experience the life of Christ together.

The Crucified Life
This Lenten study will unify your entire congregation or diocese around Jesus’ seven last words from the cross. Small group studies, homilies and Sunday school classes can all work together to form a single, powerful journey through Lent, leading up to Good Friday and a glorious Easter.

The Crucified Life addresses guilt, shame, family issues, internal struggles, the problem of evil, trust issues and failures. All of these human challenges are overcome by the cross of Jesus. His words were spoken for us today. New life for us is on the other side.

* Forgiveness – The guilty will hear Christ’s prayer, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”
* Salvation – To the shamed and the shameful, Jesus promises salvation, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”
* Relationship – We all inherit challenges and struggles from our families of origin, but the Lord gives us a new family when, at the foot of the cross, he says, “Behold your son, behold your mother.”
* Distress – On the cross, Jesus said, “I thirst.” He became like us and sympathizes with our weakness so that we can be set free to thirst after righteousness.
* Abandonment – Why does God allow evil? In our darkest hours we often feel God has abandoned us, but we can struggle along with Jesus when he said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
* Reunion – Even in the midst of the darkest struggle, we can surrender with Jesus in trust as he says, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”
* Triumph – There are times when life gets so hard we want to quit, and yet, with Jesus, we can persevere to the end with his words encouraging us, “It is finished.”

The message of the cross is foolishness to a world that seeks self-help. However, it is the power of God for salvation for all who believe.

If you are interested in using The Crucified Life as a Lenten study, we want to help. Fr. Charlie and St. Peter’s have assembled a leadership team to assist with all aspects of making this a successful campaign for your church. Everything from help attracting small group hosts to communication and promotional materials will be made available to churches that sign up to offer this study in Lent.

To learn more about The Crucified Life and to pre-order the small group materials, go to ChristianLifeTrilogy.com.

If you are interested in partnering with St. Peter’s to share resources to promote your Lent program, send an email to church@stpeterslakemary.org.