T h e
G o o d N e w s
A r c h i v e s
April 2001
What if Easter happened more than once per year?
On Easter Sunday, Christian churches all over the world will be filled to capacity with faithful worshipers. It's one of those days that if you are a Christian, and you feel even mildly religious, then you find yourself drawn to the church. You can't help yourself. Somewhere deep inside us, those of us who are baptized Christians know that the church is where we are supposed to be on Easter Day.
People often ask me what I think of those who seldom make it to church, especially those who usually come only on Christmas Eve and Easter Day. Quite honestly, I rejoice in every moment of it. I'm glad to see the faces of friends and parishioners I haven't seen in awhile. I make it a point not to joke about the roof falling in because it's been so long since they stepped foot into the church. Maybe it's my naive optimism, but I actually expect to see the members of my parish sitting in the pews on Easter Sunday. I can't imagine where else they would want to be on that particular day.
On the other hand, I also expect to see them in church all of the other 51 Sundays of the year. Now I know that perfect Sunday attendance is an unrealistic standard for any of us to meet. But I really do expect to see the faithful at church every Sunday. You see, Easter and Christ's resurrection to new life is much more than a one-time event. The feast of the resurrection is about the world dying to a sinful life with the hope and promise of being born into an eternal life. That's something that happens day-in and day-out in our world.
It's important for us to mark and celebrate Christ's triumph over death. It's important for the faithful to gather and give thanks to God for the blessing of the New Covenant given to us through Jesus Christ. But it's also important for us to acknowledge that Easter as an event was the beginning of new life for the world and not just a one-shot deal.
Faithful Christians everywhere know the true significance of Easter. That's why they go to church on Easter. The real challenge is remembering that God reaches out and touches new lives every day. The resurrected and risen Christ is present every Sunday during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. For Christians, Easter should be a year-round event that touches every facet of our lives. We live because Jesus died and rose again from the dead.
If it has been awhile since you've been to church, then we'll see you on Easter Sunday. But don't be disappointed or take it personally if we don't make a big fuss over you. It's just that we expect to see you on Easter and for that matter we expect to see you the next 51 Sundays as well.
God’s Peace,
Mark+
Finding Your Own Road to Emmaus
Before
the Interstate Highway system was built, traveling across the United States used
to be a real adventure. You never knew what you were going to see just up
around the next bend in the road. Of course it took much longer to get anywhere
but that was the price you paid for the privilege of seeing exciting places like
Rock City or Big Bob's Alligator Farm. We now live in a world
that has been paved over with miles after endless miles of four-lane ribbons of
concrete. Today you can cruise along for hours at 70 mph and go as far as your
fuel tank or bladder will allow to go.
While speed and convenience are real pluses, the down side of traveling on the
Interstate Highway System is the endless monotony of the trip. Everything looks
the same. There are the same gas stations and the same restaurants at each exit.
Even all of the bill board signs you see along the way have a homogenous look to
them. I-10 in Lake Charles doesn't really look much different from I-30 in
Texarkana.
It's no surprise then that some people find themselves zoning out while they
drive the Interstate. You can drive for hours and not really recall any of the
details from your trip. This happens to many of us because while we're driving
down the road there really isn't anything to see that will stimulate our minds.
From time to time it is a good thing to leave the highway and take an
alternative route. We need to be jostled and stimulated a bit so that we can
make ourselves aware of what all is staring us in the face.
This week the lessons that the Church uses after Easter Sunday are passages of
scripture that remind us that the Risen Jesus actually appeared to people after
his resurrection from the grave. In many cases the people didn't recognize a
resurrected Jesus because quite frankly they weren't looking for him. For these
people, one day was pretty much like any other. They had allowed themselves to
become complacent to their surroundings. They couldn't see the miracle of Easter
standing right before them because they weren't consciously looking for a
miracle.
Now that Easter Sunday has come and gone, we need to remember that Jesus Christ
did rise from the grave. The Risen Lord is present and at work among us. We just
need to shake up our common patterns of living so we can see more of the Good
News in action.
Awhile back, some friends of mine took a vacation over the Easter break to the
Florida panhandle. On that Easter Sunday some of them got up early to get ready
to go to church. Some of the others decided to sleep in. Those who were up and
ready to go decided it was time to shake things up, so they went to the rooms
where their friends were still sleeping and yanked back the covers and declared,
"It's Easter Sunday! The Lord has Risen and so should you!"
During the next 50 days of Eastertide, may all of us be blessed with someone in
our lives who will push us out of bed when we want to sleep, make us take a
different route when we've been on the same road too long, and help us to
recognize God's Risen Son who stands ready and waiting for us to embrace him.
Pray that this Eastertide, each of us will be blessed to personally
encounter the Risen Lord in our lives and do so in places where we least expect
to find him.
God's
Peace,
Mark+
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