He Is Risen Indeed

I’m not exactly sure why but this year my thoughts have turned to the resurrection in a more meaningful way than ever. Grace again. Funny how a “doctrine” you have known for years takes on fresh significance all of a sudden. It’s been an appreciation, interaction and worship more than anything else. I have been struck with the thought, “Never did the returning sun usher in a day so glorious! It was the jubilee of the universe!”

Over the years we have sought to bring focus to our resurrection celebration. Ideas have been hard to come by. Thankfully some creative people have recently been leading the way through their writing. (Now if we can just get some of that creativity flowing for the celebration that comes in 50 days.) So, we are gradually establishing some family traditions for the Easter season.

This year we had a “Lent Tree.” (Lent is the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter when liturgical churches traditionally prepare themselves for the celebration of the resurrection.) Daily we read about some aspect of the resurrection and then put a picture on the tree as a reminder of that portion of the story. It was a simple and easy way to keep us coming back to the true meaning of Easter.

A tradition that we began fifteen years ago and continued this year was the Passover Seder. With friends sitting at our table we spent the evening reminding ourselves of the children of Israel being set free from their Egyptian bondage and the fulfillment of the Messiah as the ultimate Passover Lamb. I have come to enjoy so many aspects of “the telling” – the candle lit by the hand of a young woman, the child going to the door to welcome Elijah, the taste of horseradish mixed with kharoset and the singing. Of course my wife’s delicious meal of matzah ball soup and roast doesn’t dampen my enthusiasm any.

We flew an Easter flag for the first time this year. I’m looking forward to carrying it through the streets or waving it during morning worship someday. And we made a resurrection garden for the umpteenth time. And we plan on an afternoon luncheon which will be a small occasion compared to some past endeavors.

So for you this year, whether you make resurrection cookies or attend a sunrise service, whether you buy new clothes or give cinnamon rolls to neighbors, may you celebrate the life of the One whose resurrection assures your standing with God. May you in faith embrace His completed work and obtain in time your own glorified body. May you meet with the believers and call out the traditional resurrection greeting, “He is risen!” “He is risen indeed!”

Celebration of Womanhood

In the land of princesses, the ladies celebrate the wonders of womanhood. They affirm and encourage one another in all things beautiful and feminine as they enjoy their special role designed by Creator God. A design originally created in ancient times in a lush, exotic garden. Eva, unashamed and in the image of Creator God. Eva, the mother of all living.

In this kingdom the mother plays an extra special part in nurturing her daughter’s growth toward being a woman. As she walks along the way, she speaks of honoring physical beauty, the art of creativity in everyday life, the captivating mystery of the woman’s soul and the holy experience of life aflame with God. They relish special moments together……..moments that fade into lasting memories.

At the onset of the “blossoming time” the mother invites a handful of women for a special event. At this event family traditions are handed down from generation to generation. A special gift, new dress, bouquets of spring flowers, a pink rose corsage, lace tablecloths, live music and secret family foods can all give the event meaning.


In the mountaineer region for example, the Harer family celebrates with a heritage of afternoon tea. The cucumber sandwiches, crescent ham rolls and scones are their signature foods. Deep red strawberries with almond cream also adorn the table along with those dipped in tasty chocolate. An Irish Breakfast blend of tea steeped to perfection flows for the joyous occasion.

When the “sharing” begins, the women tell stories from the richness of their own lives. They share insights and wisdom as tea is sipped. They pass down a passion for Biblical womanhood. Sharing things like, “Make sure that your thoughts are pleasing to your Maker.” “You are fearfully and wonderfully made…intricately woven by your Creator. Trust the plans He has for you.” “A happy heart makes the face cheerful…Proverbs 15:13.”

Then a prayer seals the ceremony and blesses the budding young maiden. A prayer that over the coming years she will mature into a woman of God’s design, who loves God wholeheartedly, finds her identity and security in Christ, seeks to reflect the image of God in modesty and virtue, and who ministers grace to others through her biblical roles.

Enjoying God?

If you are the kind of person that offers up a prayer as you crawl out of bed in the mornings, it might go something like, “Who do you have for me to help out today?” Maybe you should try turning things around and praying, “Who do you want to use in my life today?” Of course that is a little bit scary and very dangerous. It could open the door for God speaking into your life through a wide variety of unexpected and even unwanted people. I mean it could be – an aspiring author, your lovely spouse, a disagreeable theologian, an insightful stranger or a cantankerous neighbor. And it could be one of your own children.

I had one of those conversations not so long ago. “Dad, what is our purpose.” “Well” I said, drawing it out to buy myself a couple of extra seconds. “I think I’ll have to go with the Westminster Catechism on this one. ‘The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever’.” To which she insightfully and somewhat mischievously replied, “Why don’t we stress the enjoy part?”

You know, she’s got a point there. We do tend to focus on the glorifying God part and even then it’s in a narrowly focused “serving Him” in some sort of way. Which isn’t bad; it’s just so much bigger than that. Gazing at the stars, writing a poem, working in the garden, playing the piano, having coffee with friends, sketching a picture, making donuts or snowboarding can glorify God too!

Do you enjoy God? And how in the world do we enjoy Him anyway? Well….it starts by enjoying His presence. Personally I appreciate a calm quiet place that reduces life’s static and lets me sense the God who is there. Maybe that’s why I like empty chapels, nature walks, attic rooms, cabins and lonely beaches. These types of places make it easier to ponder and enjoy.

Enjoying is also marveling at the mighty mysterious wondrous God. I hesitate to list the characteristics attributed to God. It seems so sterile, dry and impersonal. No, definitions alone will not do here. What we want is to interact with the omnipotent God at the Red Sea, to worship the holy God before whom David danced, to communicate with the gracious God who gave Hannah a son, to connect with the faithful God of Abraham. We enjoy a personal God whose supernatural attributes touch our very normal days.

To enjoy God we must let ourselves move beyond formalities, definitions and moralistic relationships. Ultimately we enjoy God most when we view our relationship with Him as He views it. God says He has lavished His love on us so that we are called sons and daughters. He says we are heirs and that we are His beloved. Hey, I’m not making this up. If we can truly believe this and if we can live with this reality in sight, our enjoyment of Him will know no bounds.

A Twist on Fellowship

Surely fellowship is an elusive thing. Is it a greeting during a Sunday morning service? Or is it a donut and coffee before a meeting? Maybe it's a pot-luck dinner or church picnic? Actually it is all these things and a lot more. It’s also offering a listening ear, giving a shoulder to cry on, playing music and singing together. It’s giving some preference to the least among us, having folks over for games and taking food to someone under the weather. As we live life together, we live out our commonness. The unifying commonness of our fellowship always rests in our shared relationship with Jesus Christ. He is central whether through conversation or just being together in an unspoken acknowledgement that we are “in Christ.”

A twist in the idea of fellowship came to me the other day when someone handed off this quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. “Corporate prayer, offered in the name of Christ, [is] the purist form of fellowship.” I see the truth of it. By joining at the throne of Grace we are (at least potentially) baring our hearts in transparent ways, interceding for one another, experiencing God’s presence and finding mercy in our time of need. Sounds like pure fellowship to me.

I’m reminded what great fellowship of prayer the early church enjoyed. There was an atmosphere of prayer that was second nature for them. Jim Cymbala says it this way, “The apostles had this instinct: When in trouble, pray. When intimidated, pray. When challenged, pray. When persecuted, pray.” Acts 1:14 – “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” Acts 3:1 – “One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.” Acts 4:24 – “When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God.” Acts 6: 3,4 – “We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word.” Acts 12:5 – “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”

I can see it now. A couple is struggling in their new marriage, and a group of friends find a quiet room to pray with them. Someone comes for prayer because of their previous involvement in the occult, and leaders pray with them for release. A young girl is preparing for adulthood, and ladies meet at her home to pray for blessings. Someone shares a problem with you after a morning service, and you pray together. A child is leaving for college, and friends say goodbye with prayers. A nice twist on fellowship indeed.

Prayer room at El Redil church in Medillin, Colombia