I want to know Christ and experience the power of his resurrection…”
(Philippians 3:10)
Happy Easter! I know, I know. We’re two weeks past Resurrection Sunday, but the liturgical
season of Eastertide lasts until Pentecost Sunday, so June 5th 2022 for this year. Even after
Pentecost, though, we still live in the hope and power of the resurrection. As disciples of Jesus,
we are people of the resurrection. But what does that really mean? How do we live into transformation, resurrection, salvation?
The first thing that comes to mind is forgiveness. The forgiving of debts. Jubilee. To forgive and to seek forgiveness. But forgiveness doesn’t exist in a vacuum. You can’t just will it or decide to do it. Forgiveness is an act of love. Love for God, love for others, love for ourselves. This love and forgiveness means getting and giving new opportunities for our broken places to be healed. We don’t necessarily go back to what was. We move forward into something new.
The resurrection transforms us. As people of the resurrection, we are transformed by the power that raised Jesus from the dead. The old life is gone and the new has begun. We are made new! YOU get to be new! We get to be the people we were created to be in Christ Jesus. No matter what we have done or currently struggle with, each day we get a new chance to be, act, love, the way Jesus does. That’s who we are created to be. Each of us gets to take the best of where we have been and take it with us into the new place God is calling us into – as individuals and as a community.
As a church, we get to be new as well. We are meant to be. Part of our faithful discipleship means bringing forth a fresh revelation of the text, bringing new expressions of faith, new ways of connecting with the people around us and inviting them into honest, “real” relationship. We stand on the best of what we came before us, the wisdom and knowledge of lessons learned. We celebrate the places and times the church was living into its fullest identity as the church – and we let it inspire us to the next way we will participate in bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to Edinburg.
The power that raised Jesus from the dead brings new life for all of us. The power of the resurrection promises hope for all God’s people. The power of salvation empowers us to love and bless like Jesus. So this is my heart’s desire. “I want to know Christ and experience the power of his resurrection …” to live fully in Christ Jesus, with purpose and passion, all to the glory of God.
In Jubilee,
Pastor Michelle