Post Easter...

I wish I knew where the last few weeks have gone.  Felt like only a couple of days...at least where the blog was concerned.  My church prepared for a 50th birthday celebration on Easter Sunday.  Big doin's as we used to say in my childhood--back when we were known as the "shake and bake" girls because of the thickness of our accents.  Guess I do know where the weeks went...they went to cleaning and packing and organizing and cooking and preparing and practicing and so on and so on and so on.

But the event is over and was great...from middle school's Barbie and Ken retelling of the Easter story to the sanctuary filled to overflow to the lunch that could have fed the 5000.  Sunday afternoon we saw a not-church-friend who wished us a happy Zombie-fest day.  Took me a couple of beats (I'll blame that on being up since 4:15) but I figured out that was his shorthand for celebrating the resurrected Christ.  It was funny, but I wanted to say...wait, let's talk.  You are right; we talk about it in that way.  Resurrected Christ does seem like zombie fest to the world...but it's so much more than that.  No, we can't do it in a passing sidewalk conversation.  It's deep...rich...complicated...mystery.   Different people think about it in different ways.  No one completely understands it.  So, let's talk...

But no one seems to want to struggle with the concept.  If not available in an easy sound bite, we don't really want it.  Even folks in the church want a devotional book version.  I enjoy the devotional book sometimes, but it is in the struggle...the difficulty...the seeking to explain the inexplicable that I find the meaning and the message and the material that strengthens the foundations of my faith.

Easter was a great celebration.  It is insider work...insider language...insider concepts.  But what I would love now is to bring people back, a few at a time, and explore this zombie-fest thing that has the power to change the world.  If anyone wants to go there...let's talk.  The party's over and real life is back in session.

The White House...

The White House lives next door to our church.  It is not a nice place to live.  Built probably in the 40's it was last updated in the era of gross carpet and horrible paint.  Plumbing doesn't work so well.  No storage. Stinky.  Walk...Away...Quickly...

In the Christian liturgical season of Lent, we prepare ourselves for Easter, specifically the resurrection of Jesus.  But we are not going to actually see Jesus, right?  Wait, I've heard he's moving into the White House.

Caring Services, Inc. of High Point saw in the White House an opportunity for resurrection.  They will provide services to people who are trying to resurrect their lives after years of death in addiction.  Our church will partner in this witness to the resurrection.  Together, we renovate.  Together we serve.  And while we work, God resurrects.  Lives are reclaimed.  Miracles happen.

Neighbors are furious.  "Not in my backyard."  "Secrecy."  "Conspiracy."  Sigh.

In Jesus' time, the neighbors were fussy, too.  Once, Jesus traveled to the land of the Gerasenes.  Met a dude who lived in the cemetery--no closets but he didn't wear clothes anyway.  Not a nice place to live.  Last updated in the era of death and misery.  No plumbing.  No shelter.  Walk...Away...Quickly...

Jesus greeted him by name.  Restored him to health.  Clothed and fed him.  Wow.  God resurrects.  Lives are reclaimed.  Miracles happen.

Neighbors were furious.  Curious first, then afraid, then angry.  "Not in my backyard!"  They asked Jesus to leave.  They asked Jesus to leave.

We read the biblical text and are surprised when people behave this way.  How can you be so short-sighted to ask Jesus to leave?  Jesus, for pete's sake!  Imagine living in a community where Jesus lived and worked and healed.  Imagine a community where God resurrects.  Lives are reclaimed.  Miracles happen.  We would never ask Jesus to leave.

The White House lives next door to the church.  Jesus has been invited to move in.  It will be a nice place to live.  Updated in an era of grace and forgiveness.

Religion...

Did you know religion may become extinct in 9 nations?  Good thing I'm almost through with that seminary degree.  If, as I heard somewhere, the opposite of faith is certainty...then I have extreme faith these days--cause nothing is certain!  I do think we really need to ask ourselves what kind of difference our "religion" is making in the world.  Is it bringing healing and wholeness to the people who brush up against it, or is it bringing condemnation and judgment.

This week the news is full of stories of Terry Jones burning a Koran and the deaths that resulted as a result.  Look as I might, I'm seeing no stories of Jesus insulting other religions (though he certainly went after his own!).  A perfect time to do that would have been the conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well.  After all, they worshiped on the wrong mountain and they hated the Jews and really, everyone would have understood if he had taken some action to straighten her out.

Instead, as she brushed up against Jesus in this encounter, she left with an encounter with God.  Another article this week talked about a group of atheist students starting a school club.  And I quote:

Last fall, Breane Lyga joined both a Christian club and the atheist club. Some Christian club members thought she was doing it for a goof. Others wondered if she was a spy for the atheists, but Breane said she was just confused.

“I was kind of agnostic,” she said. “I wanted to get both points of view.” She talked with Mrs. Harrell and Mr. Creamer, two of her favorite teachers. She weighed the pluses and minuses. Around Christmas she stopped attending the Christian club meetings. “I guess I found out who I was,” she said.

I'm wondering if it is not time for us to take a really hard look at ourselves.  Are we living as Christ lived, following his way and doing what he did...or have we buried ourselves in a set of beliefs that wind up hiding this good news that is truly transformative.  How can we "unbury" here so close to this Easter season.  How can we reclaim a resurrection of the things that move us forward, together, and closer to God?

I wish I knew...hey wait...there's that faith thing back.