As we replay the Easter Story and celebrate the resurrection, we celebrate Christ’s victory over death and the grave. We rest assured that the promise of being reunited in that heavenly kingdom with Christ and those we and he loves is real. Praise God! Yet we must remember all of the Lenten story. We recall Jesus being tempted in the wilderness Just as we are tempted in our wilderness. He suffers humiliation, scorn, degradation, betrayal and yes even death just as we do and will. He also has moments of joy and celebration, healing and teaching, laughing and loving, experiencing the full spectrum of human emotion just as we do. In many ways we experience over and over the joys and sorrows, the trials and tribulations, wonder and disappointment that is part of living. So, we are the Easter people. We live in faith that there is a promise for the future and a hope that we can cling to. In the mire of today’s world, filled with hate and division and opinions and misunderstanding, it is easy to get caught up in the rhetoric of discouragement. We are called to be the difference. We are called to turn the other cheek, to go the extra mile, to be the voice of reason and the beacon of hope in the face of hostility, anger and retribution. We are called to be the church! We are called to follow Jesus. Perhaps it’s time to refocus, to look and laugh at ourselves, our responses to life’s circumstances and our attitudes toward life and one another. Maybe it’s time to quit complaining. In the next weeks and months, I will be introducing us to complaint free living. It is based on a book by that title and will suggest a better way to respond to the challenges and pitfalls of living in the world today. I have alluded to some of these attitudinal adjustments in sermon and prayers, but maybe it’s time for an intentional and fun look at the way we live, the things we complain about and the possibility of changing our responses to life’s curveballs and fastballs. Something to think about
- Blessings and Love, Pastor Dave