"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen." Luke 24:5
This question comes to us from that glorious first Easter Morning when the women went to the tomb to prepare Jesus body for burial and instead find the tomb empty. This joyful Easter proclamation echoes down through the ages as again and again we tell the story and share the same good news; "He is not here, but has risen."
Yet why do we still look for the living among the dead? Why do we still try to find life in the things of this world, putting our faith and trust in money, fame, possessions, broken relationships, addictions and the list could go on and on. We place the pursuit of these things ahead of family, worship and a relationship with God. We think that they can make us secure and keep us safe and healthy. All of these things though lead to death and yet we continue to look towards them for life. We as Christians though are to put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ who died for us on the cross and rose again to give us forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life.
As a Church we also seek the living among the dead. When we fail to welcome new people in and when we fail to respect and treat our children as equals we do not see the living Lord. When we state "we have always done it that way" without facing the reality of the new that God has called us into and when we want to keep everything the same, we seek the living among the dead. When we fail to see the value of all within our church and when we believe that only a few are doing the work of the church or that it is the Pastor's job only to share the Good News, we seek the living among the dead.
We seek out the living among the dead when we fail to realize the calling that God has called us into, new life within our risen Lord and Savior. When we live this new life we accept the work of sharing the faith and working with all to share God's love with the world. When we live this new faith we realize that each one of us has been given a talent and a gift to us to share the message that "he is not here, he is risen". Let us not seek the living among the dead and instead live the new life of faith that we are called to by our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
God's Peace,
Pastor Keith
This question comes to us from that glorious first Easter Morning when the women went to the tomb to prepare Jesus body for burial and instead find the tomb empty. This joyful Easter proclamation echoes down through the ages as again and again we tell the story and share the same good news; "He is not here, but has risen."
Yet why do we still look for the living among the dead? Why do we still try to find life in the things of this world, putting our faith and trust in money, fame, possessions, broken relationships, addictions and the list could go on and on. We place the pursuit of these things ahead of family, worship and a relationship with God. We think that they can make us secure and keep us safe and healthy. All of these things though lead to death and yet we continue to look towards them for life. We as Christians though are to put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ who died for us on the cross and rose again to give us forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life.
As a Church we also seek the living among the dead. When we fail to welcome new people in and when we fail to respect and treat our children as equals we do not see the living Lord. When we state "we have always done it that way" without facing the reality of the new that God has called us into and when we want to keep everything the same, we seek the living among the dead. When we fail to see the value of all within our church and when we believe that only a few are doing the work of the church or that it is the Pastor's job only to share the Good News, we seek the living among the dead.
We seek out the living among the dead when we fail to realize the calling that God has called us into, new life within our risen Lord and Savior. When we live this new life we accept the work of sharing the faith and working with all to share God's love with the world. When we live this new faith we realize that each one of us has been given a talent and a gift to us to share the message that "he is not here, he is risen". Let us not seek the living among the dead and instead live the new life of faith that we are called to by our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
God's Peace,
Pastor Keith