(April 23, 2022) Christ is Risen! And that’s no idle tale. Christ is risen indeed. This familiar refrain at the beginning of the Easter Season will greet us each week in Sunday worship until the day of Pentecost. Over this fifty day period we celebrate the stories of appearances of the risen Christ and we remember the words he spoke to his disciples—they set the stage for Jesus to ascend and leave the disciples in charge—a charge and commission we now carry.
We carry the weight of the Easter proclamation "Christ is Risen! even though this world continues to be filled with dangers, toils, and snares; even though death, as Joey shouted out at Easter, comes for all of us—none of us will live forever. And yet, we remain an Easter people. Though the world be filled with things that fall short of God’s glory we possess a joy that cannot be quenched by this world, a joy that comes from knowing our place in God’s order—chosen and beloved. We possess a joy earned for us as Jesus Christ defeated death. His resurrection is the saving event that proves God’s love and promise for us is something new—and something that cannot be defeated.
This Easter season lasts for 50 days. That’s one long party. And yet, it isn’t nearly long enough. Bear the weight of joy this season. And allow that same joy to charge you up for all the seasons ahead.
---------