Dear Trinity,
He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
Yesterday -- Easter Monday morning -- we woke to the joy of the empty tomb, and the ramifications of that for the universe. It is the fixed point not just of the church calendar, but for the cosmos! Creation has been groaning for this moment, and will continue to groan until this transforms every fiber of our being.
And yet, is this our reality? This morning, dishes had to be done, children had to be corralled, bills had to be paid, disagreements had to be worked through. But still ... this moment of the year reminds us that all this "ordinary" hinges on the hidden reality the New Creation which indeed has begun in the resurrection of Christ. Its reality does not hinge on my belief or unbelief. It is not a nice metaphor, an illustration of the cycle of spring and death/rebirth. Instead, it is sanctifying every moment of my life (even my life under quarantine) and offering us a way out of the tomb, every day, every hour. Church liturgy is an attempt to walk us through this shocking reality every week (because we forget every day, every hour). Let's wake up!
Once again I had the joy and privilege of meditating with you on Scott Erickson's 12th Station of the Cross:
Together, we loved the fact that it is the Good Shepherd who is leading us into this new life - and that this "new life" is not something we must possess, or display on our own. We have submitted to the One who has given his life for us as the pure lamb (Station 10) and now will lead us as the shepherd (indicated by the crook). Children marveled at the stump that is bursting with new life ... one child saw the leaves as sheep who were scattered and the shepherd was already bringing them in. A woodworker noted that the center ring of the stump (the oldest part) is bringing life to the new sapling. An agricultural researcher said that the graft is incredible! Others noted the continuing theme of the wood in the staff as well. We loved the continuity between the old, dead stump and the new life, reminding us that God doesn't obliterate our old selves, but brings them into his New Creation in which he is making all things new. We are not to become Not-Selves, but our truest selves in Christ. And he has shown us the way, by way of the Stations of the Cross.
This week, celebrate that Lent has come to an end. Even if we are still in a dark space, the church calendar beckons us by faith out of our desert and into the truth of the resurrection.
Let us Practice Resurrection!
Julie
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