Some Thoughts On An Easter Sunday

Note: Continuing to add content to my neglected blog. This is from Easter 2019.

Some thoughts for Easter Sunday:

I walked back in to the empty auditorium after our three fantastic worship gatherings today and took this photo. Mere moments before, thousands of people gathered to celebrate Jesus' resurrection in this space. It was electric.

And, just like that, it was over ...

As we were singing songs of hope and resurrection this morning, I caught a glimpse of a family who lost a loved one in the past year. As we sang "and this failing body I now resign" from "Absent From Flesh," I thought of them and how the resurrection — while providing ultimate hope death will not have the final word in our lives — is something they cling to a little more *vividly* than some of the rest of us (including me) often do. 

I had to ask myself, are the words we put into their mouths a vocabulary providing a still-grieving family hope of truth, or were the words just empty phrases designed to sound pleasing, but offering little in the way of real hope after their loss?

This family (as well as others in the room who still grieve the loss of loved ones, others who know little but darkness and sorrow, and those whose wounds are raw and exposed as they enter our gatherings each week) raced to the forefront of my thoughts as we sang. Because, in reality, this life can be full of joy (like today's services, which were awesome, for what it's worth), happiness, and memorable moments. But, it can also be filled with sorrow and hardship. Death is waiting for all of us (yes, even you). The question we must wrestle with is, "what happens when I die?"

If the historical figure of Jesus of Nazareth did indeed rise from the grave and overcome death, the implications for each one of our lives is MASSIVE. He must be considered to be divine. And, if he's divine, what does that mean for you and me? We pay it lip service, treat it as a hobby, shrug it off, or just ignore it to our own peril.

However, if Jesus has NOT risen from the grave, then I am a FOOL and am to be most pitied, because I will have wasted what little time I have on this planet following a lie (and a liar).

I know that sounds heavy for a nice Sunday afternoon, but it's something I hope you can give some thought to today.

Thanks for reading.