Easter Thoughts

We'll never walk on water if we're not prepared to drown,
body and soul need a soaking from time to time.
And we'll never move the gravestones if we're not prepared to die,
and realize there are worlds outside the lines
chorus of of "My Love Colours Outside the Lines" by Gordon Light, 1995

This year I have ended up with a sermon series on resurrection. On Easter Sunday we went with fear. Because after all there is a lot of fear in the Easter stories. And there is a lot of fear in the world. And there is a lot of reason for it. But then again the cure for fear is faith. the cure for the fear of death is to embrace the possibility of resurrection. In the face of all that deals death to our churches, our employers, our security the cure is resurrection.

Last week was woundedness. One of the recurring images in the Easter story is that the Risen Christ bears the wounds of crucifixion. And those of us who follow a resurrection faith bear the wounds and scars of our lives with us. Those wounds can limit and restrain us if we let them. The scars from these wounds can bind. OR the wounds can teach us and give us wisdom. But we have to admit that we bear them. Resurrection is continuous with death and life before death.

And tomorrow is is resurrection and transformation. Another recurring image in the Easter stories is that the Risen Christ is hard to recognize. Obviously resurrection is more than/different from the mere revivification of the crucified body of the man Jesus. There is something transforming about it. And let us all be honest. Most of the time we want revivification or resuscitation. We want the comfortable and the familiar to be brought back.

But as people of Easter faith our hope is in transformation. We don;t hope for the rebirth of what was but of the birth of God's New Thing. We hope for transformation of our churches, our communities, our world. And so we don't push for things to be "like they once were" but for new life to come in totally new and unexpected ways.

Unfortunately that hope is harder. But who promised that following The Way would be the easy path?