Easter and Rebirth

-
     Today we celebrate the fact that God sent us an ambulance in the parking lot of life.  A lifeline in place of despair.  A love that was so pure, it brought us into the light and set us right with God and the world.  So we would be set free. Free to love God and other people with the same pure love that he showed us first. 
     He sent us back to the garden, the perfect original Eden, and brought Eden into the world again.  Eden here already and not yet.  Eden here already and "not yet" because we, now set free, could go about the business of bringing it to pass in this world.  He reconciled us with Him and all of creation.  So now we "wait and groan with all of creation for the Sons of God to be revealed" as they, as we, come to life.  Coming from lives of lost seeking, and spiritual confusion - spiritual death to spiritual life.  Spiritual bondage to spiritual freedom.  He came to set the captives free!
     Jesus at the start of his ministry read the scroll from the ancient Jewish scriptures and set the tone for his ministry on Earth, reading, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free."  And on Easter, he fulfilled this in one amazing act.
     Now we are set free to take our place as the Sons and Daughters of God.  To love and to accept the love he freely has given us, if we only believe it.  He lavishes his love on all, seekers, the lost, and the living.  And we are all free: all we have to do is realize it and accept his love.  Jesus, in that one amazing act of rising again from the tomb,completed this ministry on Earth and returned to his place next to God to watch over us and guide us into spiritual, emotional and physical life. It is good news for the poor, the oppressed, the lost, the hurting, and all of humanity!

     We celebrate all of this and all of its implications at the beginning of spring, during this time of rebirth of creation.  The flowers poke up from the warming ground.  The trees bud and flower.  It is a reflection of the glory of God and Jesus's one triumphant act.  Praise to him.  And thanks, Jesus.  Thank you for saving us.  For setting us free.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Monkey Bars

-
Image
     I was talking with my wife's father, a retired pastor, and he told me about an image he used in many of his sermons throughout the years.  It is a thing that every kid learns on the monkey bars on the playground at school.  It is simply this: when you are on the monkey bars, you can't move forward until you let the hand behind you let go of the last bar.      In this way, I am kind of stuck in my life.  The trailing monkey bar is my smoking cigarettes.  I just haven't been able to let go of that bar no matter how hard I try.  I believe that this bar gives me a lift.  You see, I suffer from a chronic depression.  When I go outside and have a smoke and a caffeinated beverage, I get a little boost to my mood.  Often this gets me back on track and I start doing things besides laying in bed.  I might do the dishes and I feel better about what I have accomplished.  I might, being awake ...
Read more of this post »

I long to see him

-
Image
I long to see my savior.  I long to see him coming on the clouds and standing there in front of me.  I will kiss his feet and touch his face and say, Rabbi, you have been my teacher, my friend, my confidant.  I love you and all that you do.  You have inspired me to better myself, to better the world, to help my fellow man.  I could not exist without you and you have given me everything I have. You have given me a good job, a beautiful wife, feet that know the good of walking the path you laid out for me, even the thorn of suffering in my side that has grown me and perfected me. Take this soul and make it sing, Son of Yahweh. "Take this mouth, so quick to criticize. Take this mouth, and give it a kiss." I am waiting for the dawn after the long night.  Anticipation gives life to me.  I am ready to do anything you ask of me.  No man can take this from me.  You have my heart and all of me.
Read more of this post »

A Letter To a Friend

-
Image
I woke up at 9:00 this morning, threw some clothes on and headed out the door.  I was meeting with the a ministry leader at 9:20 that morning because I had expressed an interest in joining their care ministry at my new church. Just before I left, I sent him a letter that I had written that week for a young man who I had visited in the adolescent psych unit at the hospital.  I thought it would give the ministry leader some insight into my interactions with my care receivers, as I had been a Stephen Minister for 5 years and a lay chaplain at my previous church. When I got there, I sat down with the ministry leader.  We got to talking and I asked him what he did for work previously.  He said he was a pharmacist.  Then he said something that perked my ears: He said his first rotation was for a Psychiatric Hospital in Ohio.  He said there was razor wire around the high wall surrounding it and double locked doors on every ward.  I asked him if it was for peo...
Read more of this post »