the Resurrecting King is resurrecting me

Holy Week.
This week holds a lot of weight for me.
As a former kid on the fringes of church, it was the countdown until I could eat chocolate and meat on Fridays again.
As a teenager discovering her faith for {what felt like} the first time, it was the week where I made myself feel guilty for all the sins I’ve committed or been complicit to in my life.
As a Seminarian, it was the week where we all debated which church had the best theology and the best services for each day.
As a Pastor, it has always been one of busyness, rushing around to make sure that everyone in your congregation has all that they need to fully understand each moment from Palm Sunday to Resurrection.
But this week has felt different for me.  It has to do with being at a new church, in a new city and having new responsibilities this week.  Part of it has to do with where my life is at, where my walk with Christ is at and how I’ve grown from that young kid who didn’t really understand what we were doing all this for.
This week is all out of whack from my normal rhythm.  We didn’t have youth group last night so instead I held a leader meeting to process how our year has been.  As we went around sharing the highlights and challenges of our Wednesdays nights, I heard the underlying thread of our leaders’ desire for our students to feel and experience the love of Christ first hand.
We wrapped up the meeting and I wandered down the hall towards the Sanctuary where I knew the worship team was practicing for Sunday.  I sat for a while and ended up staying for the whole rehearsal.  I stood in the darkened Sanctuary allowing the words of each song wash over me, reminding me of why we do all of these things.
We are creating spaces for people to come and see/hear/taste/experience the great love our God has for us.  That he would send his Son to walk on the earth, to teach the disciples, do miracles and call out the religious leaders.  He came to flip expectations on their head – to promote justice and give dignity to the oppressed.  Jesus came to show us that the only way out of the sin and hardship of this world is through him.
And he took all of our sin – individually and corporately – to the cross.  So that we could have freedom.  So that we could stand confidently before the throne and know we have been made whole in him.  He defeated the grave so that we may no longer be bonded by the brokenness of the world.
He did all of this for us.  So that we may walk freely and to be the Kingdom Dwellers we were always meant to be – that we were created to be.
So this weekend, as we walk toward Easter, let us remember that even though this world brings it’s darkness – the promise of Easter is the Light of Christ in the world.  We have a way out – through Christ.

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