Dear Church,
Walking 250 steps to and from work daily means to see subtle changes more clearly. The bare branches of the trees around the church parking lot have unmistakably begun to bud anew. Blooming Glen Bob, the groundhog living under the farmhouse porch steps (and under the shed, and in the Barn), is out sunning himself almost daily. New life is all around.
As it should be.
The role of the church is to be a magnet for renewal. The reality of the resurrection of Jesus is that death has lost its grip on us. The contagion of pain has been overcome by Christ’s conquest of sin, death, and hell.
But it takes courage to believe that.
It takes courage to believe in the face of blustery north winds and flooding rains that winter is waning.
But it is all true. Winter will give way to spring. Sin gives way to resurrection. The church can be full of new life and purpose.
The author, pastor, and church consultant Carey Nieuwhof (www.careynieuwhof.com) suggests that current challenge the church in North America faces is not primarily political polarization, or doctrinal differences. The problem is mostly one of indifference. We’ve stopped caring. We’ve stopped caring about God’s grace. We’ve stopped caring about God’s truth. We’ve stopped caring about the promise and presence of resurrection. And because we are indifferent, we find Jesus’ behavior during Holy Week hard to imagine. We see the intensity of Jesus dancing, weeping, overturning moneychanger’s tables, contemplating and discerning, and we don’t know what to do. So, we sit, indifferent to Jesus. Indifferent to one another. Indifferent to our neighbor.
Easter calls us to a return to white-hot intensity of purpose. The resurrection matters. It defines us. It shapes purpose. It revives us to dance with joy in the presence of the Holy Spirit and sob over the condition of our neighborhoods. The resurrection demands we overturn the moneychanger’s tables and restore the hope of the poor. The resurrection expects we will reflect, contemplate, and discern. The resurrection seeks to remove our doubt and confusion, and guide us to see Jesus our Lord, love one another in the church, and break down the barriers of nationality, race, class, gender, and language as nonconformists, servants, caregivers to God’s creation, and evangelists who invite our neighbors to join us in following Jesus Christ daily in life.
Easter is no time for indifference, church. Easter is when we put on new garments of praise and start afresh to work in confidence that Christ, who has died, has also risen, and will come again to fulfill God’s restoration of a new creation.
It’s happening all around us.
Don’t settle for an indifferent faith.
We are an Easter people, and Hallelujah is our song.
Christ is Risen. He is Risen indeed…
Pastor Jeff
jeff@bgmc.net
PS – Coffee and conversation on Good Friday, March 29, and April 5, at the Broad Street Grind, 3:30-4:45 pm. Dialogue over Oatmeal and Omelets next Monday, April 1 (it’s no joke!), at the A&N Diner, 7:30-8:45 am. Good food. Good coffee. Good conversations. You’re all invited.