Devotional Messages

DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE

I Corinthians 15:54-55 – When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (NRSV)

This Sunday as we gather for worship, we will remember that Easter is a season, not just a day.  We will begin a new sermon series called “What Easter Makes Clear.” In this series we will look at some of the stories of Easter and the scriptures that reflect on Easter to explore what they tell us about living our lives following Christ today.  This Sunday, we’ll be looking at how “Incarnation Matters,” that is, that our bodily lives are important to God.

We usually think of Incarnation as a topic for Christmas, and indeed, we will sing an “Easter carol” to help us ponder the connections!  But part of the point of Easter is that God took on a body that was vulnerable to violence and death.  And that means God is with us when our bodies are in pain and dying as well.  Our suffering matters to God, for God understands our suffering from the inside out.

The next two weeks, we’ll take a break for our stewardship campaign, which will have us look at Easter from the perspective of springtime and gardening.  Watch for your mailing about all that!  Then we’ll return to examining what Easter teaches us theologically about inclusivity, nonviolence, and unity.

It’s good that Easter lasts longer than one day, because it’s supposed to make a difference in our lives.  The resurrection should change the way we live, because of the ways it shows us how to follow Jesus.  When we get clear about that, faithfulness is easier to make sense of.