GREETINGS TO THE FEASTING FELLOWSHIP OF CHRIST THE KING!
Followers of the Risen One, last Sunday I shared the old story of the woman who wanted to be buried with a fork in her hand, with the hope that people might ask, “What’s with the fork?” when they looked at her in the casket at her funeral. Even in death, she was seeking a way to be a witness of the resurrection and the empty tomb. During her life in the faith community, this woman heard many times, when the potluck plates were being cleared, someone would inevitably say, save your fork, the best is yet to come. As she faced death, she knew that the best was yet to come. Even in death, we meet Jesus and there is more life, resurrected life as Jesus demonstrated to us.
This story has been around for many years. It’s made the circuits. It is one of those strange, funny stories Christians share with each other. This time I got to hear a variation on the theme. At our fellowship across the generations, Aaron Bengtson had remembered the story from a previous telling and his mom, Sarah, had heard the story when she was at Luther College. At Luther everyone was walking around with a fork attached to their backpacks as a reminder that the best is yet to come because Jesus leads the way.
This is the hope of the resurrection that we proclaim this Easter season. I loved how some ingenious students at Luther got a hold of a drill and some forks and shared the symbolism of this story. I love how college students at the beginning of forging their way in the world would carry a symbol that reminded them that with God, the best is yet to come. This is the hope we have living in relationship with God. The Holy Spirit keeps blowing this idea into our lives and through the people we meet. We just can’t keep this good news to ourselves. It’s a good story to tell and keep telling.
1 Peter 3:15b-16a puts it like this, “Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence.” Peter is encouraging a faith community in times of persecution. That is not the case for us. We have the freedom to tell this story and I am always so delighted when we find clever ways to share God’s good news with gentleness and reverence.
Thank you for bringing your stones to stack as a beautiful reminder of the work God does with us to build a spiritual house (see 1 Peter 2:2-10). In verse 9, I see the four walls of this spiritual house; we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people. God is a beautiful architect and creator. The stacking stones are available for your stacking on the sides of the sanctuary.
I’ve placed an order for challah bread to share with you this Sunday as we continue feasting in the season of Easter with a common bread from our Jewish brothers and sisters reminding us of God’s great ability to pull us together and build spiritual houses.
Here are some of the other ideas shared by Gerry Kuhl for feasting during the Easter season: Leave up the Easter Garden until Pentecost with fresh things added. Celebrate Ascension Day Services (Thursday, May 18), share rich desserts and homemade candies during fellowship time, procession of cross at all services, Holy Humor Sunday, and a potluck brunch Sunday.
I think you are getting the idea. We have much to be thankful for and we have good news to share. The tomb is empty. Christ is risen! Alleluia!
Bold Inquisitive Belief Loving Expansively,
Pastor Connie Spitzack
