Dear Friends in Christ,
How do we see Jesus after Easter? This is both a theological and a practical question.
Theologically, we don’t have a lot to go on. The stories of the risen Jesus are mysterious and brief. The bible itself tries to explain life after the resurrection—the story of Paul encountering Christ on the Damascus road, or 1 and 2 Peter’s exploration of the ethics of post-Easter Christians. Every answer, every description of this risen Jesus is merely partial.
Jesus’s victory over death changes everything. We will spend our whole lives trying to understand it.
Practically speaking, we don’t want to have to wait our whole lives. Who will Jesus be for us now? If we turn away from the wilderness of Lent and the cross of Holy Week, what do we turn towards?
The answer of the early church still holds true today: Easter finds its fulfillment in the body of Christ on earth. The risen Jesus can best be known through the people who gather and break bread in his name, the people who love and care for one another and the world around them.
Where to look for Christ now? Among one another, and in our shared mission of love, proclamation, and service.
My suggestions:
- Get to know one another. All those adults and youth who stood up at the Easter Vigil to be confirmed? If you don’t already know them, reach out and connect. The newly baptized and their families? Them, too. What about the new family at Little Church or the person who has taken to sitting in the pew in front of you? Also them.
- Look ahead to one of the events that builds up our parish the most: Shrine Mont! Kirk Gibson, one of the Shrine Mont staff members, will be here on Sunday all morning to talk about our parish weekend. We’ll unveil the 2023 theme, begin raising funds for scholarships, and have a foretaste of the weekend in the form of apple butter.
- Sign up for Rebuilding Together on April 29. No construction experience is needed. This event is a great opportunity to connect with one another (it’s much easier to have a conversation when you are hammering nails side by side) and to demonstrate our commitment to our community.
Look for the risen Jesus. I am confident you will find him.
Yours in Christ,
Anne