What should be the case? We have heard the greatest story ever. We have remembered Jesus' life, death, resurrection and victory over death. We reflected on what that meant. We heard (if you were at Good News) a message about what we should do if we remember. To summarize, I suggested that maybe the resurrection should manifest itself in our devotion to the bride of Christ (His words) the Church. Maybe the week after Easter should be the highest (instead of the lowest) attended Sunday of the year. Maybe we, as the church, should devote ourselves to following the New Testament model of the Church which is relational, prayer-filled, giving, relevant, missional and ... filled with people so obsessed with Jesus that they can't wait to see what happens next. So ... they come, participate, work, play, laugh, love and live together ... all in the unity Jesus' prayed for at Gethsemane.
Will there be a difference in what should be and what YOU do? Will you change your measuring standards of 'good church' to what Jesus said? Will you do what the family Baptizing the baby said they would do, "be faithful in your public and private worship of God through His Church?" Will you place your heart and your hands in service to the one you say is your Savior, Jesus Christ? Will you react to the Resurrection as if something amazing happened, or will you react as if something AMUSING happened?
We will see. Because this week I will be looking for the faces that were there on Easter. The family (I know them) with the little baby that was visually playing with my expressions (they were on the 2nd row, and you may have thought I had gone a bit crazy). Another family with a little boy who will be baptized soon. Older couples in the church who are always faithful in their attendance but may need to think about church differently than they did growing up ... after all, we follow Christ, not what we've always done. Many, many people who seem to show up on 'Holy' days, forgetting that to God, all of them are Holy. I will be looking, but more importantly, God will watch whether the message of Easter is amusement or obsession for you.
A 'plastic' Jesus will not help us, save us, strengthen us, grow us, give us a heart for loving/serving others, give us unity, and give us grace. But the man who died on the Cross ... was buried in the grave ... rose again on the third day and sits at the right hand of God the Father ... is the way, the truth, and life itself. I SHOULD see you on Sunday. Hope you are listening!
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