The connection between this reading
from Job and the reading from Luke is resurrection.
If I were to ask, “What is
resurrection?” how would you answer? And yes, you can go ahead and
answer that question. As Christians, we believe that all faithful
departed will be raised to new life in Christ Jesus. Many Jews also
believe in a resurrection of God's people at the end of the age; but
for us, the deal was sealed when Christ was resurrected on that first
Easter. And yes, we do debate whether this will be a bodily
resurrection or a spiritual resurrection that exceeds the limits of
the body as we know it.
The more important question, though,
is, “Why is there a resurrection?” And yes, you can answer that
question also. Why is there a resurrection? The answer, I believe,
is this: New life. We are resurrected by the power of God's infinite
love to a new life. A new life where there is no more pain or
sorrow, but life everlasting. A new life in God's kingdom where
there is no death or crying, but the fullness of joy. Why
resurrection? New life.
New life is ultimately what we are
about.
The problem, though, is when we let the
What question dominate the discussion. When we give the What more
weight than the Why, we are missing the point. What is resurrection?
Life after death. Why resurrection? New life. We can get so
bogged down in the details of the What that we miss the importance of
the Why.
Why resurrection? New life.
I spent the better part of three days
east of Portland at the Menucha Retreat Center with a gathering of
clergy from around the country. It's a place where we discuss issues
that affect the church at all levels and where we get some ideas or
resources on how to get better at what we do.
There was talk about what various
churches do. Some feed people. One had land and turned it into
senior housing. Some give blankets to the homeless. Some run
preschools and daycare centers. This is what they do. But any
agency can do those things.
The question then becomes, “Why? Why
do they do these things?” Answer: Resurrection and new life. The
church is the only organization that offers the hope of resurrection
and new life. And if we ignore the Why, we miss out on so much. If
we ignore the Why, then we simply wait for the What after we die.
But the Why of resurrection allows us to see resurrection all around
us – if we are willing to see it.
Our world, currently and in the
northern latitudes, has entered autumn; a season of hibernation and
death. Leaves wither and die, leaving trees bare. Crop fields are
empty, or have the remains of the harvest left behind. We know how
the cycle works. In this time of natural death and when sunlight is
scarce, we know that spring will come. That knowledge comes from the
hope of eons. Spring will come, and with it new life. If we pay
attention, there is resurrection right before our very eyes.
So on Monday I'm at this conference of
national clergy discussing faith, creativity and accountability in
the missionary church. That night I get a text from Jen Roberts:
Miriam has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. We are on our way to
the children's hospital in Portland.
Tuesday morning I drove into Portland,
found my way to Doernbecher Children's Hospital and, with the help
from a guiding angel dressed as a long-bearded, tattooed construction
worker, to the pediatric ICU. I met and prayed with the family and
watched as they wheeled Miriam off for brain surgery.
The surgery went well and by Wednesday
she was up, eating and walking, no worse for the experience. And on
Thursday she was discharged. In the face of a potentially deadly
brain tumor, Miriam has experienced resurrection. She has
experienced new life. And Tim, Jen and Lucy can see that new life,
that resurrection, with the healing of Miriam. Resurrection is right
before their very eyes.
When I arrived back in my office on
Thursday, there was a note on my door. A parishioner from St.
Matthew's in Gold Beach was at Three Rivers being treated for a brain
tumor. The outlook for her, at least with regards to this body and
this life, is, bluntly, not good.
But during my visit she exhibited a
strong and sure faith. She knows her days here are limited; however,
she is not giving up the fight. And even though she fights the tumor
in her head with radiation and chemo, she knows. She knows
resurrection is new life. She may not know what that looks like at
this point, but she is confident in the hope of the resurrected
Christ and the new life promised. Resurrection is right before her
very eyes.
In churches around the country, people
are trying to figure out how to increase attendance, attract
families, be vibrant and return to the glory days of 1957. The
problem with that is that those congregations want to go back to the
way things were. They want to capture that magical moment and stay
there. But you know what? That's not new life. That's not
resurrection.
For us to move forward we need to come
to terms with death. We need to come to terms with the death of old
ways and methods, with the death of how things used to be, and with
the death of the idea that things would be better if we could only go
back.
Resurrection is moving forward. It's
seeing things in new ways and with a new vision. It's understanding
that things won't look like they used to. Remember, Mary didn't
recognize the newly resurrected Christ either.
For I know that my Redeemer lives, and
in my body I shall see God. It's time for us to remember why we are
here. We are here for new life. We are here to be resurrected. And
it's time to stop chasing what was and begin living for what is and
what can be. It's time to start living for resurrection.
Resurrection is right before our very
eyes. The question is: Are we bold enough to live into that new
life of resurrection?
Amen.
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