-
April 21, 2019 Easter
“Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.” (Luke 24:1 NKJV)

Easter and Christmas day are the two days it is easiest to experience God. On these days we see God directly acting for us in a very personal way. Both days allow us to experience the humanity and divinity of Jesus in a moment in time. Easter is so important the early Church move the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday!

Yet it is very easy for us to miss this revelation of God by merely looking at what it means for us. We can be so caught up in the Babe and our resurrection to miss God’s desire and love for us.

The women experienced the wonder of the resurrected Jesus just as the shepherds experienced the wonder God coming not only wrapped in cloth but in human flesh!!! The shepherds came to the manger and the women came to the tomb. The Benedictines of Mary have a song which says Jesus went from the virgin womb to the virgin tomb!

The women came bringing spices which reminds us of the Wise Men so long ago bringing incense of worship and burial spices as a gift to Jesus. The spices also can remind us of the spices used in the temple as an offering to God. And in the book of Revelation we are told the prayers of God’s people are an incense to God.

But the women did not just bring the spices they prepared them. Coming to know God and to be in God’s presence is not something natural to us but takes preparation. Coming to worship services is not just appearing at that time but requires a time of preparation by spending time with God and through prayer and confession renewing our relationship with God in preparation of our worship.

When we come to the tomb with the spices of our prayers and being prepared by confession we are filled with the wonder of the resurrection and the wondrous love of God! It is easy to be stuck on Good Friday celebrating God’s love and forgiveness and miss the wondrous news that we are alive not only through God but in God!

Our preparation for worship allows us to come before the tomb and not just see its emptiness but the fullness of God’s love to not just save us but to make away for us to be with God! We can see this in the Gospels passages showing Jesus talking directly to the women and the apostles. By this Easter becomes everyday and not just once a day!
So Happy Easter and may you honor God by the fullness of worship.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

-
April 3, 2018 Tuesday “But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there , and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, an
Read more
-
September 3, 2017 Sunday             Even after a long Saturday I was able to go to Asbury and receive Communion and to worship my Lord and My Love.   We stayed for Sunday School and Peggy had a great lesson from Dr Kalas’ book Parables From the Backside Volume 2 .   A great class, a great teacher and a great book.               In the afternoon I tried to sleep but just was able to rest some.   VERY worn out by being so busy but it was good.   Bonnie remembers when we would visit Gramps, her grandfather; he would say that he would enjoy the memory of our visit for weeks.   Now I understand what he meant.   So many wonderful memories nourish me every day.
Read more
-
May 19, 2017 Looking back             As weeks turned to months the memories grew and even connected together.  A dark memory from my time in the Navy connected with a dark memory from my childhood.  Each one as I explained to my counselor and to Bonnie had a “ghost” with it.  A person who seemed to haunt my life.  Watching the news connected to a memory and suddenly I could smell, taste and see the memory and it became more real than my daily life.              At the same time I was growing weaker and the pain in the body was increasing.  There was a general weakness that began in my fingers and toes and moved upward more rapidly in my legs than arms.  The cramps became an agony and happened at least two times a night.  Lasting for about an hour each time I became more and more sleep deprived even with my C-Pap machine.             I contacted my Staff Pastor Parish Relations person and the District Superintendent to let them know about the trouble I was having as I was sl
Read more