Alleluia! Maybe.

Of all the Easter stories, the Gospel of Luke has to be my favorite. There are great one-liners from divine messengers, and God’s promises through Jesus are fulfilled. But even more compelling for me, is that on Easter morning, Jesus is nowhere to be found.

The women who have been serving Jesus since Luke 8 go to the tomb to prepare his body. When they arrive, the stone has been rolled away and there is no sign of Jesus. They are reminded by two sharply-dressed, heavenly messengers that Jesus said he would rise from the dead. When they leave the tomb to return to the gathering of Jesus’ followers, we’re not certain how they feel. What we do know is they tell the others what they’ve seen and the vast majority doesn’t believe a word of it. All signs point to a miracle, but…

Jesus doesn’t give a speech. He doesn’t offer instructions. He doesn’t call anyone by name. He’s vanished.

On that Easter morning in Luke’s Gospel, everything is very unclear. It’s murky. That suits me just fine.

All too often, we hold the perception that Easter morning must be filled with joy…nothing else. Don’t get me wrong, I celebrate Christ’s resurrection with all I’ve got, much of the time. But I may or may not be able to sing “Alleluia” on the day the church has set aside to celebrate Easter. According to Luke, whatever you’re feeling, you fit right in.

This Easter morning you may be filled with the joy of the resurrection. If so, come and sing, “Alleluia!” at the top of your lungs! If not, come anyway. Confusion and disbelief are a part of the story, too.

Just be ready. All signs point to a miracle!

See you Sunday…

God’s Peace,
Pr. Rachael

You and Me?

It’s rather astounding how many “outcasts” Jesus runs into in Luke’s Gospel. Tax collectors, widows, lepers, the demon-possessed: each have something that makes them unclean, untouchable and/or destitute. We tend to feel grateful, even self-satisfied, that we no longer understand those who suffer with mental illness to be demon-possessed. But, have we really come so far?

It’s March Madness and I’m a sports nut. I’m from Wisconsin and, of course, I was cheering for the Badgers all the way to the Sweet 16 when they faced Florida. Somehow, in the last two seconds of the game, Florida drained a three to win it. Being the wonderful disciple and faith-leader I am, I immediately began hoping Florida would get blown out, I mean embarrassed, in the next round. Why? Because they beat us!

If you’re not a sports enthusiast, try these on for size: Did your party/candidate beat their party/candidate in the last election? Are they (kids, dog owners, homeless folks, late-night-motorcycle-revvers, etc.) a problem in your neighborhood? I’m just getting warmed up…

The passages from Luke 18-19 we’ll hear on Sunday point, yet again, to people who have been ostracized and cast aside from their communities. Yet again, Jesus seeks these individuals out. He loves them. He heals them. He restores them. Why is this so hard for me to remember?

Instead of wallowing in self-loathing about my inability to stop myself from finding ways to make someone an “other,” I’m going to take this Lenten opportunity simply to notice it. How many times a day do I see someone else as “other” because of their sports team, political leanings, driving(!), or socioeconomic status? Will you join me?

Jesus makes the blind see – maybe there’s hope for me yet!

See you Sunday…

God’s Peace,
Pr. Rachael

Move me, Lord!

I sit a lot. It’s been made clear how unhealthy – some would say dangerous – a sedentary
lifestyle is. It’s detrimental to our physical and emotional health. I try to move. I stand while talking on the phone, writing sermons, and watching my son’s hockey practices. Still, I’m in one place for extended periods of time. My faith life feels like that sometimes…sedentary. That’s pretty dangerous, too.

Sedentary faith manifests itself in all sorts of ways. My first indication (to which I rarely pay attention) is increased fear: What if I can’t get it all done? What if I don’t measure up? That person didn’t smile very broadly at me, are they mad at me? Is that person who looks really different from me a threat? You can see where this leads. Another indication is fatigue: God, you don’t really want me to love my enemies, do you? That takes so much energy! Perhaps the biggest indicator is inertia: The problems of the world are way too big. What can I do? Sedentary faith manifests itself physically, emotionally, relationally, psychologically, and every other way imaginable.

In the season of Lent, God comes to us with an opportunity to move.

For the next 40 days, we will be “on the road” with Jesus in the book of Luke. In Luke 9, Jesus sets his face to Jerusalem and he doesn’t look back. He calls disciples, he offends with provocative teaching, he casts out demons, he heals, and he loves and forgives to his own destruction. He invites us to join him on this road. He invites us to move with him as he shows us and the world what love looks like: to and through death…to life everlasting.

Will I move?

Will you?

In Christ,
Pr. Rachael