The Scripture ~ Arise, for this matter is your responsibility. We also are with you. Be of good courage, and do it.” Ezra 10:4
The Spiritual focus ~ “With a new day comes new strength and new thoughts.”Eleanor Roosevelt
The Devotion ~ Recently, a local church (United Methodist WBL) told the story of Holy Week in a unique way. They blended a contemporary/historical reading of the biblical narrative, with music from Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar interwoven throughout the story. At the end of the story telling, the pastor posed the question, what difference will this story make for you tomorrow, or the next day? What impact does the Easter story have on our everyday lives?
After 40 days of Lent, Holy Week and the Alleluias of Easter Sunday the hoped for outcome is that we have experienced the story in a new way with a new responsibility to share the story of life after death. The new thought may be subtle or it may be an ahha moment that we can’t help but share with someone.
The same year that Jesus Christ Superstar was aired on TV, another local church performed the Passion play with real rain and lightning during the scene of Jesus last hours on the cross. A member of the audience whispered loudly, “this is so real I feel like I am there with Jesus!”
When we experience something that feels so real and new, it takes courage, strength to share that experience with another. It takes courage because we are still processing our experience, yet we are so moved by our new thoughts we can’t help but talk about our experience. Doing something or talking about our experience makes it real!
When yoga was first becoming popular in the West, people would leave their mats thinking and then saying, “I’m not sure what happened here but I feel great!” In Yogadevotion classes we hear a similar comment, “it is amazing how one can experience the real presence of God when one becomes still.” Processing this new experience and then having the courage to share this experience in community is one way of living out our life of faith together. As post resurrection people, Easter people, we believe in a new thought, death is defeated. We as Easter people believe God is doing a new thing, everyday and we can’t help but share that with each others. This is how the story of Easter makes a difference today.
Breath prayer
Inhale ~ I Am
Exhale ~ A new creation
