Tag: resurrection

The Gift of Resurrection

It seems like a week ago that we gathered together for Ash Wednesday to begin Lent. We begin the journey of Lent with this phrase “You are dust and to dust you shall return.” A phrase that reminds us that this journey of earthly life is temporary, but the promise of eternal life is firm for all.

Throughout the season of Lent, we listen and reflect on the clues Jesus gave before his death. He said “the kingdom of God has come near, but that same kingdom would also be destroyed and rebuilt on the third day.” Messages that anticipated his persecution, the contempt he would face, and his suffering on the cross with these words “If anyone wants to be my disciple, let him deny himself, carry his cross and follow me” Mark 8:34. “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified… unless the grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces much fruit.” John 12:24. “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man also be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” John 3:14-15.

This year, the forty days passed quickly and we soon found ourselves in Holy Week. A time in which we remember and reflect how our Lord in the midst of his agony on the night he was betrayed, washed the feet of the disciples, instituted Holy Communion and told us “a new commandment I give you: that you love one another.” “Just as I have loved you, you also love one another.” On Good Friday, Jesus is abandoned, scourged, crowned with a crown of thorns and sentenced to death on the cross. His death put an end to the beauty of his messages and his presence among the people.

But is this how it all ends? In no way, three days later the gift of the Resurrection occurs. The purpose for which our lord had been sent had been accomplished. Death was defeated and no longer has power over us. We have been freed from slavery. The temple that had been destroyed was rebuilt on the third day just as the Lord had mentioned to his disciples. With the Resurrection, the persecutions, contempt and agonies have been left behind, it takes us to a space where there is only joy and peace.

Last summer, a month after my installation and ordination, as you already know, my father went to enjoy the gift of the resurrection. Although his absence left a void in our lives, my family and I hold on to the hope of the promise of eternal life. His death brought an end to his earthly suffering, as I have peace knowing that my father was at peace at the moment of his death. The pain of my father’s death was tempered with the hope that gives us strength, comfort, joy, love and peace. In some of you there are probably gaps in loved ones who came before us, that just as Jesus died and rose again, so we will also rise to eternal life.

Brothers and sisters, my wishes are that the empty tomb fills us with Hope, comfort and peace as we walk on this new journey of resurrection. Happy Easter!

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (Peter 5:10)

Pastor Edwin

Christ Is Risen!

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

I never get tired of hearing those words. They offer praise. Bring peace. Extend comfort. Reassure troubled hearts. And even raise the dead. Okay, maybe not in the literal sense, but for many of us who know someone who is in a season of their life that is painful, difficult, hopeless – these words of resurrection joy can lift someone from their suffering, if only for a momentary glimpse of the Kingdom of God and the joy to be found there.

I have often wondered why our funeral liturgy does not include this resurrection announcement. I imagine the mood would change for those who gather to remember a loved one, if the first words they heard and said included: “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!”

I am all for:

John 14 – Let not your hearts be troubled;
Psalm 23 – The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want;
Matthew 11 – Come to me all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens;
John 11 – I am the resurrection and the life.
Romans 8 – What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us?
Job 19 – I know that my redeemer lives.
Psalm 118 – Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter them;

And yet, none of those words fill me with the power of belief like, “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Who among us has not known the sting of death or felt the bitter wind at graveside? Even in the warmth of the summer sun, to stand at the edge of the grave of someone we love, there is a known sense of loneliness, regardless of the gathered crowd around you. So again, I ask, why do we not include the resurrection announcement at the beginning and end of every funeral we attend? For that matter, why is the story of resurrected Savior and empty tomb not reminded to us again and again at the entrance to the sanctuary and the gate of the cemetery? It is as if the celebration of Easter is not enough for us. AND YET THIS EASTER NEWS IS ENOUGH! It is all we need. If we had no other words of Scripture but this story of resurrection of the Son of God, it is enough.

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’s head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed, for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb, and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she 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 in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not touch me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

I invite you to carry the story and these words of resurrection joy and promise with you into each new day – long past these 50 days of Easter celebration. Carry this resurrection joy deep within you, write it on your heart, and speak it in greeting to remind yourself and others of the good news of our God. “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

May the joy of Easter carry you into each new day.

Pastor Chris

Easter Jesus Pastor Chris resurrection

Easter Reflections

We are sitting in Starbucks. Come on! We know that is not a surprise! (Have you met Pastor Chris?)

We are still reflecting on the beauty of worship that carried us through Holy Week and brought us into the joy of Easter Day. If you get a chance, please take the time to thank the church staff. They are incredibly gifted individuals.

Our musicians – Vicki, Ben, and Sarah. They are gifts of God to shape the highs and lows in our worship life.
Our administrators – Amy and Tamie. They are the ones who attend to all the details of the order of worship, double-checking and triple checking what we have planned.
Our gifted ensembles – handbells, praise team, choir, and numerous instrumentalists and soloists. They provide the backdrop to so many moments of emotion in the story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Ascension continues to be a community of faith that draws all of us, and others we have yet to meet, to the very foot of God’s throne. It is humbling to watch so many talents collaborate to bring glory to our God. And then when we add the voices of all of you who gather to worship – how wonderful the sounds of praise to our God.

We are also humbled for the 14 month journey that completed the remodel of the kitchen – the last piece of phase 2 of our remodel. It is glorious. We are moved in thanks to some very dedicated women who rearranged drawers and shelves more than once to figure out what will work best in the kitchen. We are indebted to Michael Jahner, Cynthia Carlson, Dennis Nowak, Dick Boward, Ron Marien, and Arlene Davis for bringing all the pieces together and navigating the city permitting process. In the days ahead, we will focus on replacing the sanctuary roof and the sliding glass door in the hearth room. However, both are in okay shape and for the next few months we will concentrate more on ministry than remodeling – though, we are convinced they go hand-in-hand in the house of God.

We are not surprised at all that we would celebrate Easter at the same time we are celebrating the resurrection of our kitchen. The mission and ministry of the community of Ascension centers on the death and resurrection of Jesus and so often the kitchen is the hub of activity in the ministry that reflects the moments of sorrow and joy in our lives. We are preparing to celebrate the gift of our new kitchen with the Mission Fundraising Auction and Dinner on Saturday, May 20^th beginning at 5:00pm. Come and share in fellowship, beer and wine, good food, and hear about the upcoming delegation visit from El Salvador and the upcoming delegation from Ascension who are preparing to travel to Usa River, Tanzania to reconnect with our sisters and brothers at our sister parishes of Samaria, Neema, and Galilaya along with our two elementary schools, new special needs school, and our new secondary school. So much for which we can give thanks to God.

It is a glorious thing – to share in the ministry of Ascension. We are counting down the days until Edwin graduates from seminary. The story of God’s love continues to unfold among us, in us, and through us. Thank you for joining us on the journey at Ascension. We are humbled to share the road with you.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

See you in church.

Pastor Chris & Pastor Tony

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Now What?

Our Lenten journey will soon be coming to an end. On Palm Sunday, we will rejoice in Jesus’ triumphant and bittersweet entry into Jerusalem. We will gather in the upper room on Maundy Thursday to celebrate the last supper with Jesus and his disciples. We will travel to the foot of the cross on Good Friday to hear Jesus utter a lonely cry of abandonment. And on Easter Sunday, we will walk alongside a group of women to the place where they laid the lifeless body of Jesus only find the tomb empty just as he promised.

That’s all well and good, but a provocative question still remains for many – so what? I still have to go back to work and school on Monday. Bills are still due. The surgery is still scheduled. I still need my therapy appointment. Life doesn’t seem to have magically gotten any easier as a result of my participation in the events of Holy Week. So, then why does the resurrection matter and what does it mean for me now?

The resurrection of Jesus matters because it shows us what we might have trouble seeing in the chaotic and divisive world around us – that God loves us beyond measure. That through the gracious gift of Jesus, God defeated sin and death, opening the gate to eternal life, for us.

Some of you will be spending a lot of time in church over the next week – Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. You will hear the good news of the death and resurrection of Jesus and what it means for you today, tomorrow, and forever. And now that the culminating event of the Resurrection is complete – What are you supposed to do now?

It’s a question that comes upon each of us throughout our lives because there’s no shortage of things that come at us on a daily basis – What do we do now that we got the test results? What do we do now that I’ve lost my job? What do I do now that I’ve graduated? What do I do now that the relationship is over? What do I do now that the divorce is final? What do I do now that my loved one has died? What do you do next in the midst of the ups and downs of life that are sure to come?

My friends, Jesus has been set loose in the world to bring light out of darkness, forgiveness out of sin, and life out of death. He is the One who can bring joy out of sorrow, faith out of doubt, hope out of despair, and love out of fear. And he invites us to join him and proclaim God’s power to all who are lost and without hope.

So, what do we do now? We respond to God’s grace, love and mercy by going forth from Easter Sunday and the celebration of the empty tomb as witnesses, freed to live and love and serve as God’s forgiven children in Christ Jesus. And as we go forth empowered by God’s Spirit, living and active within us, may we live in the joy of the resurrection so that everyone, everywhere will see just how great God is! Happy Easter! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Pastor Tony

Easter resurrection

Instead of the End – the Beginning

The Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Elizabeth Eaton offers these words:

After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb. So begins the Easter story in the Gospel according to Matthew. The women had lived through the pain of Friday and the emptiness of Saturday and were expecting death. All of their hope had come to a dead end. And just then, as the first day of the week was dawning, hope was restored. The angel said, “Do not be afraid; I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here: for he has been raised, as he said.”

Instead of death – life. Instead of the end – the beginning.

On Easter, we will have glorious celebrations in our congregations and worshiping communities. There will be rejoicing and music and flowers and alleluias. And that’s a good thing. But when the flowers fade and the pressures of life seem so heavy, when the brokenness of this world breaks our spirits, when we have come to a dead end … rejoice. Because it is exactly there where the risen Christ meets us. It is precisely there where we are given resurrection life. It is at that point that we say, “Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Hallelujah.”

The cries of resurrection can still be heard on the mountaintops. Thanks be to God! From the mountaintops we travel to the upper room where the disciples have hidden themselves out of fear. There, Jesus appears. A week later, disciples are still in the upper room. There, Jesus appears. It will be on the beach, where a campfire is tended, that Jesus will appear to his disciples and feed them breakfast. There around the warmth and light of the fire, the light of the world, will ignite a flame in the disciples that will inspire the world.

Instead of death – life. Instead of the end – the beginning.

I read this reflection before the great celebration of Easter. It has carried me forward since we began the celebration of these great 50 days of resurrection. It is entitled Setting Out Once Again by Kelly Hall and Phuc Luu:

Out of the stale darkness, he rises into the light, bright rays of sun split the tops of trees, and clouds depart and blue fills the sky – the smell of angels lingers in the air – his hair feels the cool breeze again. This was not the garden, but a new world made from the eruption of hope and a life that could not be held down. We were witnesses to the life that rose from the dead. God’s relentless love, who comes close to us moving stones from tombs opening the heart to another possibility, death no longer stands. My heart races in my chest as I step forward to face the future, my future, that I grasp with open hands with new naiveté, a child toward a mother to be held and lifted up, and cradled with care. At times, I hesitate and I grasp onto memories of what once was but I know that I am not alone in my apprehension. I feel the hands of others holding me. These are my sisters, my brothers, who are not strangers to my fears and frailties, who have also confronted a hope that frightens them – who can feel their own scars, both fresh and old, they step in pace with me – the weeping women at the gravesite, the scared disciples waiting in the upper room.

This is our future, where we walk together toward our new home built by the hands of a wounded king – the new Zion, forsaking the kingdoms marked by borders and divides where all our settlements are only temporary shelters, sanctuaries of rest for the wounded and weary. Then the Christ returns to visit us, as Galilee’s boats pull to shore, these places seem familiar – the lapping water and the sand, but we are not to return to these lands, not those dreams – but become pilgrims, to set our belongings in another home, to wash our sandy feet in some other place, to lay down our tired souls on a distant promise, quilted from both the today and the tomorrow.

And we dine as a day sees another setting sun sitting across from each other once again – seeing each sweet face laughing deeply feeling whole once more. And we see the Savior’s smile, he knows our journey’s end and pours us another cup full of his own love and this time, our eyes tell him that we understand.

Thanks be to God! See you in church,
Rev. Christian Marien

(This article is taken from Ascension’s May 2017 newsletter).

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Welcome to Lent

Welcome to the season of Lent!

Wednesday, March 1, is Ash Wednesday. We will worship God with the imposition of ashes and Holy Communion at both our 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. services. Our hope is that you will take time, not find time, to let the world know that for just a moment on Wednesday night, March 1, you will come before your God and bow down and worship and praise to honor the One who has given you life in this world and promises you eternal life in the world to come.

I am always grateful to God for the change in rhythms during the season of Lent. Wednesday night gatherings for soup suppers and worship are a gift to my heart. God provides an opportunity to share in this journey of faith in different ways from Sunday mornings at Ascension. On Wednesday nights, I have more time to simply sit and enjoy conversation with friends in the congregation. Worship is intended to be brief but meaningful. Music orients our focus to the worship of God. Sermons are exchanged for brief meditations. In the dark of night – the candles shine brighter. There is a beautiful quiet that hovers in the sanctuary even with the joyous sounds of children squealing with delight over the little things in their lives that we so often miss. On Wednesday nights in Lent, this year, Pastor Angela, Tony, and I will all be taking different aspects of our worship. Children’s messages will be a part of each Wednesday night and music will guide our steps in worship into the way of peace. I hope you will consider joining us for a time of refreshment…one night a week – you can skip cooking and the dishes (unless you sign up for either one at church). What a wonderful gift to come share in the joy of gathering together to the glory of God.

We will gather for soup suppers at 6 p.m. on March 8, March 15, March 22, March 29, and April 5. March 8 will be hosted by JOLT; March 15 will be hosted by our Tuesday Morning Bible Studies; and April 5 will be hosted by CRASH. Congregational sign-ups will be available to help with soup and bread for both March 15 and March 29. Check the narthex/lobby for the posters. We need about 18 soups each week to provide for the 100-150 who attend. Our Wednesday night gatherings will center on some wonderful reflections offered to provide us with directions to wander while we find ourselves in the wilderness of Lent.

Wednesday Worship Themes
March 8
Discovering the Spirit
March 15
Renewing My Mind
March 22
Redeeming My Time
March 29
Deepening My Relationships
April 5
Transforming My Experience

I am grateful to the psalmist who wrote these words for us, “How very good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Come and join us on the journey. I wonder – how could your life be different if you made the conscious decision to gather with fellow believers for fellowship and worship on the Wednesday nights in Lent? What would change in your life? Would you be happier? More content? Would you discover new things about God? Would you find your mind renewed? Would you find your time better spent? Would your relationship with God and other believers go deeper? Would you find your life transformed? My guess is that your answer would be yes! I know, for me, year after year, my answer is always, always…yes!
Peace be with you. See you in church.
Rev. Christian Marien

(This article was first published in the March 2017 newsletter).

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Autumn Rituals

Dear People of God,

Already the winds of autumn have brought us to the gates of November. How quickly the days of summer have given way to falling leaves and crisp morning breezes. November 6 will gather us to the celebration of All Saints Sunday. We will once again read the names of those, connected to our community, who have died during the past year and light candles in remembrance of all who have gone before us and now rest from their labors. This year we will give thanks for:

Fabricio Aparicio John Gresl

Lorraine Birner Susan Krist

Judy Ewell Elmer Norris

Andrew Frey Barbara Wendorf

We live within the communion of saints. We trust the promise of God that the power of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ holds true for each of us – as it has for the generations that have come before us—as it will for the countless generations that will come after us. Often times in our world we find the power of God’s promises overshadowed by the darkness of the cross in our lives. Where Easter joy should reign over us we find ourselves overwhelmed with pain, death, and grief. All Saints Day gathers us with the whole communion of saints in heaven and on earth.

In Celtic Christian spirituality the place where heaven and earth meet—the moments where God enters into our world—are called “thin places.” An idea that offers a thinning of the veil between life and death, between human and divine, between ordinary and miraculous. For most of us, these places are what we crave for in our lives of faith. “Give me a sign, Lord.” Ever heard yourself speaking those words? I have. Usually in the most despairing moments—the moments when no answer seems best—that is when I hear myself telling God to get on with it. Tell me which way so I can move on, step up, go forward, put something behind me. Once in awhile I really feel that God nudges in one direction or another—most of the time, I pray and I hope and I cross my fingers—not the sign of the cross mind you—just that hopeful kind of lucky wish and jump. Sometimes God blesses and other times God somehow puts me back at the beginning and lets me start over. The path is not always easy but I hold on to the hope and I trust that God is there in the midst.

November 13 will call us to gather for the annual meeting of the congregation. In our church governance, it is the congregation that approves a yearly budget, elects new church council members, and approves a slate of candidates to attend our regional assembly of congregations next June. The meeting will begin at noon and will be a potluck. We invite you to join us to hear about Ascension and the mission and ministry of the congregation as well the continued work on our Ascension Arise our 2025 Vision.

November 6, in-between services at 9:45, you will have the opportunity to ask review the budget for 2017 and ask questions in a smaller setting before the annual meeting happens the following week. Our community continues to renew itself as God guides and shapes the ministries entrusted to us in this time and place. I give thanks to God for the power and presence of God and God’s people as we walk together to the glory of God.

~ Pastor Chris Marien

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What Are We to Say?

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

These are the words of the Apostle Paul to the Christian community in Rome. They are also the words read at the June 20th funeral for our brother Fabricio.

When I sit down to plan funerals with family members, I offer this reading from Romans as one possibility but I often encourage the family to choose a reading from Jesus’ own words. “I am the resurrection and the life,” or “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” or “in my Father’s house are many dwelling places.” I am hopeful they will choose a reading in which Jesus’ own words speak to them. My efforts are in part because the Apostle Paul has always been a secondary figure in my faith life. However, after Monday, June 20, my opinion of Paul’s words has changed.

Paul’s opening question has been my question over the past weeks as our congregation, as a community and as each of us as individuals, has tried to come to terms with the loss of a beautiful young man full of life, sharing joy with every smile. “Dear God, what are we to say about these things?” I confess I am at a loss (and many of you know me to never be at a loss for words).

A Sunday sermon quoting Fabricio’s own word, “hermosa” (beautiful), brought a little light to our darkness, and the visitation, funeral, and reception, as Ascension offered hospitality in ways I could only have imagined, gave me pause for a moment of deep pride in this community that lives out its brokenness through the lens of the cross of Christ. I have been grateful for countless hugs and words of comfort and prayers. It has been my desire all long to remind all of us that Jenny and Carlos, Edwin and Sarah, and Paul and Shirley deserve that compassion long before the rest of us. I stand in awe of God’s presence and power through the junior high students who loved Fabricio as one of their own – how they have honored Fabricio’s memory and tended to each other. I was grateful for Pastor Walter and Pastor Michelle for their ability to share the promise of God’s love, their gift of interpretation of Spanish to English and English to Spanish, and for Pastor Walter’s tending of a family I was unable to tend in their own language. I am also grateful for Pastor Walter’s care and his tears shed at both the loss of Fabricio and the promised welcome and homecoming for Fabricio at the gates of heaven. I am thankful for the Bishop’s presence to honor the family and the great gift of Pastor Angela who spoke to Jenny and Carlos as only she could, as a pastor to the Aparicio family and as a parent who has lost a child. I am so grateful for her words of faith in God and the explanation of drinking double fisted from a deep well of grief in one hand and a deep source of joy in Jesus in the other. And finally, I give thanks for Tony, who put into words the deep grief felt by Pam and myself. To hear Tony speak of Fabricio as a student he loved as his own son was in some ways too much to bear. Yet, I saw in Tony’s eyes the deep love and pain for this loss and his inability to do anything but love Carlos and Jenny, Karlita, and Johnson.

It will take time for Carlos and Jenny to learn this new world where the voice of their son is no longer heard. And all of you, members of the family of Ascension, give yourselves time to honor this life and your own suffering in the midst of this loss. I have come to understand that Fabricio’s death has touched our congregation in ways I did not comprehend in the days leading up to the funeral. Fabricio and his family attended the early service. Most of the junior high students on retreat and their parents attend the late service. Pam attends the late service but has been a member for her whole life. And who among you does not know Tony or myself? Where the death of any member of the church tears the fabric of the community apart – Fabricio’s life and death have woven the fabric of our community all the tighter for the ways in which we have found a communal suffering in the tragic loss of this beautiful young life.

So, dear God, I ask the question again, “What then are we to say about these things?” Perhaps for now, the words are less important than the touch, the hug, the smile, the tears, the tending to the Aparicio Family and the Wehmeier family and to each other as the family of Ascension. And maybe, just maybe, in the tending, we will begin to see healing, and in the healing, we will see the glory of God.

Peace my friends, deep peace be with each of you; God’s deep peace be with us all,

Pastor Chris Marien

(This article first appeared in Ascension’s July 2016 newsletter).

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The Greatest Story Ever Told

I am convinced that the work of God at Easter is far more difficult to believe than God’s gift of a baby in a manger. Easter calls us to believe what we have not seen even once, while babies are born every day.

I said those words aloud during a time of reflection and prayer. I decided they were worth writing down. Maybe. Maybe not. Regardless of the ability of those words to inspire, the sentiment is no less true. A baby in a manger is easy…unless your name is Mary. Easter, however, presents a whole host of problems. Resurrection from sealed tombs and beating hearts stopped and started again without medical intervention are much harder for our logical and proof-demanding world to accept, let alone understand. Yet still I believe.

We are an interesting expression of God’s love, we disciples of Jesus. Our holy book tells us to love one another; to pray for our enemies; to remember our Savior; and to celebrate his resurrection from the dead. Is it any wonder that so many have, over time, walked away from a relationship with God? It is much easier to believe we stand alone – this world is all there is and when we die, we are dead. The end.

And yet, somehow, this story continues to be told again and again. Through the words of Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20, the story of the resurrection of Jesus is told. Through the music of Jesus Christ is Risen Today and I Know that My Redeemer Lives, we hear the news of the resurrection. In the creeds of the universal Christian Church, we speak words of belief that have been spoken by generations of Christians from as early as 325 AD. If this story was simply a device to control people, or if this story was used to simply explain the great mysteries of the world at any time, then I would have expected the story of the resurrection of Jesus to just as simply fall away over these last 1,691 years since the first confession of faith was made at the Council of Nicea.

And certainly, as the story – told in hope and faith – has become too great a burden to bear, people have walked away. And yet, the story continues to be told. I am convinced of the truth of the story of the resurrection of the dead because I have witnessed the faith of far too many believers who have passed on the story to me. The resurrection of Jesus grounds me in this world and promises me a place in the next. I know there will be more days of fear than courage. I know I will suffer long days of doubt over belief. I know that there will be days ahead that will cause pain in this life. And yet, still I believe. As I said in my sermon a few weeks ago, the place between fear and doubt is the foundation of Easter and the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Still I believe, “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” They are words I heard as a child. They are words I speak over my children today. They are words of power – resurrection power. They are words that promise life.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

~ Pastor Chris Marien

(This article was originally published in Ascension’s May 2016 newsletter).

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