Living into the promise of resurrection

To enter the season of Easter is to enter uncharted territory; a world of new possibilities that our preconceived notions and categories are not adequate to describe.

What we bring to this present moment - the moment of freedom, includes our history and habits, as well as a capacity for joyful adventure, for enjoying the new possibilities that Easter brings. The news of Easter morning does not seem possible. But it is true.

- Alleluia. Christ is risen!

- The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

And from this moment on everything is different, old things pass away and the new begins.

- Do you believe in the resurrection?
- Yes.
- Well, then, can you explain it to me?
- Ah, h'm...

What happened on Easter morning is hard to explain, but it changed absolutely everything.

What we do with what happened on Easter morning - how we change our minds and let our lives be turned in a new direction, more profoundly tells the meaning of the resurrection than any formula.

From that day’s work, when Christ won our deliverance from the dominance of death, life has been completely transformed.

As we say of the hour of death, life is changed, not ended; death has not the final word, the finality, any more - for Christ is raised, from the dead, and in him, in his raising, all are raised.

In him, who rose from the dead, our hope of resurrection dawned.
The sadness of death gives way to the bright promise of immortality.

With him we are living into a new future, the new possibility that life can have meaning beyond itself, beyond the grave, beyond our circumstances, beyond our individuality; we have life in Christ and in Christ's life we find life.

Nobody knows fully what this new possibility means. We only know of it because of the witness to the resurrection by the women and the men who beheld the empty tomb, the risen Lord, and the Ascension – and the coming of the Holy Spirit down upon them.

We too look for the descent of the dove, the power of the Spirit; knowing full well it has meaning beyond our dreams, holds out hope beyond our accomplishment, and fills us with love beyond our capacity for self doubt or remorse, anguish or uncertainty.

Claims on life as we lived it once before are gone; as we live into the resurrection we let go of life – and truly grasp it at last.

What happens now? What do we do now?

That was the disciples’ question from the first – and it was the beginning of a new life.

And he said to them, Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. (Mark 16:15)

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Come to The Little Feast – a springtime celebration of creation, creativity, and the Creator.

Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime. – Martin Luther

We see emerging around us the beginnings of a fresh springtime in the church. We experience, growing from roots deep-set in gospel soil, new forms of community, of worship, and music, and new relationships developing between younger congregations and more established church bodies and organizations.

What is happening is a celebration! A celebration of creation, creativity, and the Creator - a Little Feast (just a day after the Ascension) ... beginning in the big old living room of Rosewood Manor, with an evening of ‘the round’ - a collaboration of improvisatory musical, visual, and culinary artists... and continuing with a blessing and gathering prayer at St Alban's the next morning, followed by four thought- and conversation- stimulating presentations – by resource folk from inside and outside our own communities – along with workshops led by artists, musicians and prayerful folk from Beloved and St Alban's.

Thanks to early support from Bishop Greg and the diocese of Olympia we are off to a good start. We expect we will need to chip in about twelve bucks each for food and incidentals. We will be welcoming all who attend.

The Little Feast: a springtime celebration of creation, creativity, and the Creator,
with the Church of the Beloved, featuring Tara Ward, Tom Sine, Christine Sine, Eric Hanson, and other members of our communities

• Friday evening May 14th, 7-9pm at Rosewood Manor,
8104 220th St SW, Edmonds, WA 98026 (http://belovedschurch.org/)
• Saturday May 15th, 9.30am-3pm at St. Alban's Episcopal Church,
21405 82nd Place West, Edmonds, WA 98026 (http://stalbansedmonds.org/)

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