Much of traditional Christian theology teaches that the resurrection is about the next life:  harps and halos in the hereafter.  But resurrection is all around us:  in the return of migrating birds; the retreat of mountain snows; and the rebirth of wildflower meadows.

I believe resurrection is God’s will. It is the triumph of life over death, hope over despair, healing over suffering, peace over war, and justice over oppression.

Resurrection is relevant for the here and now.  

One of the mysteries of our Lutheran faith tradition is that we believe that the Risen Christ is present among us today:  in, with, and under the acts of kindness and compassion we undertake for the sake of the most vulnerable among us.  Our united efforts in these weeks, to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 and protect our most vulnerable neighbors and family members is how we are making God’s resurrecting love real today.

We believe that the inspiration, courage, and strength to do such things come from the Spirit of  Christ, who calls us through the church to be witnesses to the resurrection in an often hopeless world.

The message at the empty tomb was, “(the Risen Christ) goes ahead of you . . . there you will meet him.”  We believe that the Risen Christ Jesus goes ahead of us to be present with those who have lost the things we can take for granted:  physical strength and health; mental and emotional well-being; economic stability and justice; and a sense of hope for the future.  And it is with such as these that we meet the Risen Christ.

This is a spiritual encounter.  It is a calling that draws us out of our daily routine, and into the reign of God.  It is a calling into a deeper and broader community than “ordinary” life would provide.  It is a calling into a resurrected life for the common good.

That’s what we’re about.  Not harps and halos in the hereafter, but relevant discipleship in the here and now.  It’s about discovering the resurrected Christ in the Creation, in human community, and in the cosmos.

It’s about living God’s love in the world.  Christ is Risen!

                                                                                            Pastor David