Friends talking, preaching, hoping,
praying, washing feet, breaking bread, drinking this in my name, amazing grace,
blood sweat and tears, friends sleeping, a kiss, betrayal, thorns, spit, a
cross, nails, death, darkness, curtains ripping, sun darkening, a tomb, a stone...rolling
away, empty, beyond expectations...new life; He lives!
Friends, why so sad, wake up! I have just been to the tomb, the tomb is
empty, He lives; I have spoken to Him; Jesus is alive…let’s rejoice!
Amazing grace.
I was in the Easter service this
morning…I was supposed to be in the early service and in the second service;
accidents happen, that's what my son said. Last night we had the
practice; all the children, signs, flowers, streamers, happy faces singing and
me…me, forgetting my words; feeling sad, betrayed by my own memory! When the time was done, I asked the children
to pray for me, that I might remember my words; they all assured me they would, pray, hard. I asked some friends to pray too, some gave encouragement, some
brought paska, late at night, in their pajamas.
So the morning came and I was
ready, more than ready, prepared, prayed over and in costume, I only needed to
wait for the proper time. The proper
time, ahh, but not the right time; a phone call, where are you? I missed the first service, betrayed by my
own mind, yes late for the show!
But all was not lost, I was
forgiven and the fact remains God does not need a perfect program to portray
his message, He simply needs imperfect people to share His message…and I did,
in the second service.
Here are my words…said in the
character of Mary Magdalene in front of the children who had just sang Oh Happy
Day while waving their streamers and flags with happy faces and the
congregation of the second service…perfect.
The Easter lily, isn't it beautiful, tradition says that these flowers sprang up
in the field around the place where Jesus died on the cross. The bulb, the seed
that grows a lily, it looks dead, but it’s not; once it is buried in the
ground, in just a few days, it will come to life and in the proper time it will
spring up into this beautiful lily. This reminds us of Jesus…He had to die on the cross and He
had to be buried in a tomb…but He didn’t stay dead. In just three days He came back to life. He rose
to heaven…and in the proper time He will come again.
Everything about this flower tells the story of Jesus.
The lily has the sweetest scent…the bible says that Jesus is
a sweet aroma like a lily.
Its petals are perfect white…white as snow…like Jesus who
has no sin.
The flower is the shape of a trumpet…a trumpet calling out
the good news…this is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in
it!
Yes, the good news, God loved us so much, that He sent His
only son to die for us, to save us from our sins and to make a way for eternal
life…
Jesus and new life, He wants us to live a new life.
Bury His seed in your heart, and He
will live in you…and in the proper time
we all will live with Him forever.
Today we celebrate and rejoice that…yes…Jesus lives!
Amazing Grace.
I love that.
