Letting the Light of Easter In

 

We continue in the season of Easter, exploring the Cosmic Egg, and focusing on “Your Story”.  We remember that this season after Easter is about more than finished off the feet on your chocolate Easter bunny (or are you the type that eats the ears last?)  The season of Easter is fifty days of living into the mystery and meaning of Easter.  Easter didn’t stop when the sun set on April 4th.  Easter unravels each day revealing a new insight into the beauty of God’s emphatic, “Yes!” to life. 

During Holy Week, I asked for you to let Christ’s story connect to your story.  Let the “Hosannas” (which means, “Save us”) meet you in the moments where you need healing and help; relief and release.  Let the liberating love of God found in broken break meet you in every meal.  Let God’s suffering and vulnerability meet you in owning our weakness, wounds, and weariness.  Let God’s silence, stillness ground us.  Let God’s love echo off our hearts in life-giving and life-changing ways.

We don’t stop living the mystery just because the Easter candy and decorations go on sale today.  Although, at prices that low, feel free to stock up.  I want to continue to build on the mystery and meaning of Easter singing and saturating your soul that we started last week.  For you to continue to build on the insights on the questions, what is it like to be you?  The created-in-God’s-image you.  The “you” that is still being formed, fashioned, and loved into being by the breath of God.  The “you” that wants to emerge from the COVID cocoon and feels a bit like life has shifted…that “normal” won’t be the same…or pray that it won’t.  I think of the great verse from the hymn, “The Summons” by John Bell.  It goes:

 

Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world a round,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

My invitation today is to write down all the roles and responsibilities you embody.  First, get out a piece of paper.  Next, write, “Beloved Child of God” at the center – the core of the you “you” are.  Then, all around you can write down other words/ways that could describe or define you.  I might write, “husband,” “father,” “dog-lover,” “writer,” “amateur photographer,” and “Pastor.”  Now, I want you to dig deeper into the well of creativity.  Open to the “you” you hide as God calls your name.  For me, that might include, “perfectionist,” “novice nature noticer/ Henry Thoreau-wannabe,” “anxious by the state of the world,” or “constantly questioning why I did that?” Keep going.  Keeping coming back to this list as you could fill the entire page with words.  The more creative, the deeper into yourself you can go, I pray you will let the Easter light of God’s love saturate and soak the fullest meaning of “you” there is. 

Prayer: God, we begin this season of Easter with the affirmation that You love us unconditionally and unceasingly.  Help this truth of Your acceptance meet us in these days.  Amen.