Easter: Looking Back, Looking Forward

Neither rain nor redundancy could dampen the joy of Resurrection 2011. People came amidst the deluges, despite the parking paralysis of three services to fill Highland’s sanctuary with their presence and their praise, a visual reminder that the hope of Easter is not predicated on context.

Easter 2011 continues through the coming weeks. In fact, Easter is not a date, it’s a way of receiving every day. Easter is trusting the rhythm of God to continue bringing life from death and light from darkness in every situation. Long after the Easter anthem is packed away, God’s resurrection people continue to live out the message: God is not done. There is More. Love never fails.

So we continue to embody Easter in our purposes in being a church. We find the lost. We love the loveless. We challenge systems that keep people down. We welcome the stranger. We feed the hungry. We bless the children. We encourage families. We visit the sick. We call people by name.

We embody the Resurrected Christ.

We ran through the rain and puddles to gather and name the promise that fuels us. But we remember that we weren’t made to live in the sanctuary.  We are sent forth to embody the promise in all that we say and do.