Sunday, April 15, 2012

Living Community

Today's sermon comes from Fr. Kevin Pearson, who talks about the apostles and specifically the one we have come to know as Doubting Thomas.  And we hear in John 20:29, "Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'"  The point to today's message was that Easter was not something that came to everyone at the same time, even among the apostles.  Many came to the resurrection through the stories that occurred after Easter, and that tradition continues today, thereby creating the living, growing community of people learning of the life, death and resurrection of Christ and coming to believe.  

Even through the fears of the apostles and the doors behind which they locked themselves, Christ came to them, the bring peace, instructions and the hope of the resurrection.  Today, Christians each have the experience of Jesus, emanating from the birth of Christ, through the resurrection and beyond.  And each of us is sent into the world to be a facilitator to those seeking to find Christ in their own lives.

So what stories do you have when someone asks you about Christ?

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Resurrection

Rev. Pattiann Bennett provided our reflection for Resurrection Sunday or Easter. She made the point that we each have the capacity to participate in the resurrection in small ways throughout our life.  That when you choose to trust after having your trust broken, you experience a resurrection of hope; when you choose to find hope in what has previously been a hopeless situation, you experience a resurrection of faith; and each time you choose to love again after a love is lost, you experience a resurrection of spirit. 

The resurrection is the central focus of our faith - without Christ's rising from the dead, we would have no faith, no hope of the everlasting life promised through Christ.  And we can remind ourselves of this when we state, "He is Risen" by responding not just through the words, "He is Risen, Indeed!", but through our actions.