Easter Greetings Dear People of Bethlehem,
As we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, I am drawn to a different resurrection story, one that we heard just the other week – the raising of Lazarus. These two stories are intimately connected to one another – Jesus’ decision to save his friend is precisely what seals his fate and ultimately leads to his execution. If you re-read that story (John 11:1-45), you will notice the very last thing that Jesus does is to tell the onlookers to unbind Lazarus and let him go. And that is because, while Jesus is the source of the abundant, everlasting, present-in-the-here-and-now life that courses through Lazarus’ body, that life can only be fully realized when it is experienced it in the midst of community. In order to become fully actualized, Lazarus needs the help of those who are around him. As human beings we were built to be in relationship with one another. To laugh together, cry together, learn and grow together, make mistakes and figure out solutions together. God infuses this world with grace, life, and light, and we are called to magnify and embody those things in the midst of community.
Next week we will gather as a community to hear the ultimate story of God’s love for us. We will join first the disciples who gathered in an upper room, then the witnesses who gathered at the foot of the cross, and then finally the women who gathered at the empty tomb early on the third day. We will hear a story of how the powers of sin and death are no match for God’s grace, life, and light. And we will hear the words of Jesus as he sends first the women at the tomb, then his disciples, and finally us, out into the world to be bearers of that grace, life, and light so that all the world might come to know the truth of his Gospel of mercy and love. It is a joy to get to travel this winding road through the holiest of weeks with all of you – the members of this blessed community of believers, seekers, and stewards.
Resurrection Blessings, Pastor Sam