Greetings to the Holy People of God,
Before Easter, we take 40 days, the season of Lent to prepare ourselves for Jesus’ passion – his suffering, death and resurrection. Now we enter the season of Easter and that another 40 days before Jesus’ ascension to wrap our hearts and minds around the resurrection and what it means for us. It is a time of readjustment to the new and a time for grieving the old.
Imagine how the disciples worked through this process of letting go of the Jesus they knew so that they could receive the risen Jesus and the new reality of life with this risen Jesus.
Listen to the stories of the resurrection. Try “The Bible Project” web site. Run through each of the gospels or at least how each one records the resurrection. You will find that each gospel tells the story a bit differently but all with an empty tomb. Pay attention to the resurrection appearances of Jesus but don’t stop there. Keep exploring the book of Acts, the letters of the New Testament and the book of Revelation. These too are stories of what the resurrection looked like in the life of the early Christian community.
Look at the history of the church. Can you see the power of the resurrection in Martin Luther’s story or any of the saints that have gone before us? I see the power of the resurrection in many of your lives. And I give thanks to God for you and your witness.
For example, I see Jesus’ resurrection power in Christ the King Christian Preschool. When legislation was passed to provide free preschool at our public school, we were afraid that would be the end of us. Even our most dedicated families couldn’t justify paying for preschool when there was an opportunity for free preschool. We hit enrollment lows of 9 preschoolers. We need 20 to break even. It was a hard year and we wondered if things would turn around. The next year was better, there was new life and another transition because at the end of the year, our lead teacher moved from the area. This year, our resurrection year, we have a wonderful new teacher to add to our fabulous and dedicated staff and our enrollment is holding right at 20. Our students are younger but we offer a wonderful play learning
environment for them to explore and play with one another. I saw God’s faithfulness as we continued to move forward, not knowing what the future would hold. I saw God’s faithfulness in the leadership of our preschool, their love for God and their love for children.
What is your resurrection story? How have you experienced the power of the resurrection in your life? We need to hear each other’s stories, for it helps us to sort through our own experiences of resurrection. We cannot leave these important stories untold.
Here are some prompts that might help you to tell the story of how God is working in your life.
Tell about a time when your faith has grown.
What does resurrection look like in your life?
How has God transformed your life or faith?
Share this story with us. Write it down and send it to me or record it on your phone or we will find someone to record it so that we can share with one another. Tell your story of resurrection and new life taking place today!
This Easter season, let’s all tell the continuing story of God’s powerful work in our ministry and in our lives. We love to tell the story, this story of God’s great love for us and how God brings new life.
Believing It Boldly Loving Everyday,
Pastor Connie Spitzack
