Easter us

Praying at a public event has challenges. People might have other beliefs or no faith tradition at all. I consider this when I open meetings with prayer at our Florida retirement park. When prayer respects differences, most people appreciate it.

Resurrection mysteries

This month Christians celebrate Easter, and every Sunday is a celebration of Easter. I wonder why many Christian traditions are more focused on the cross than on Easter morning. The most ubiquitous Christian symbol is the cross, but we do not have a clear symbol for Easter. Maybe, it is because we understand death better than resurrection. 

Resurrection is mysterious. Even the Gospel resurrection stories seem incomplete. Mark is the strangest, with a young man dressed in white announcing Jesus’ resurrection to the women, who run away in silence and fear. Matthew identifies the man as an angel, who rolls away the tombstone and sits on it. Matthew adds an earthquake and the women’s encounter with the risen Jesus. Luke expands Jesus’ encounters to the Emmaus couple; to Simon, but with no story; and to the disciples. He ties it closely to the Ascension. John gives us Mary Magdalene’s and Thomas’ stories, and adds the beachfront breakfast, focusing on Peter. Each account gives us witnesses but Jesus’ new nature is mysterious.

Easter is the day of surprising new beginnings, new hope, new life. Easter Monday is a day for new missions, new work, new service with the assurance of God’s victory over death and the mystery of life.

“Eastered”

In secular culture Easter is related to the revival of Spring. The word “easter” is related to an old Spring festival. It is also the direction “East,” the direction of orientation for each new day with the rising sun. The word itself expresses new life and hope. “Easter” is a noun, and I am going to use it as a verb. To be “Eastered” is to be re-oriented, renewed, re-envisioned. It is passive. It is what God does to us through Jesus’ resurrection and the gift of the Spirit. It is to be weekly renewed in worship and it is annually proclaimed to be daily lived.

Easter Prayer

On Easter Monday, 2018, I opened the Iowa State Senate in prayer. Here is my Iowa Senate prayer and my prayer for you today, for new beginnings, oriented by light, life and love. May you be eastered.

Lord God of light, life and love, we ask that you will orient and lead us into a new day of life. Easter us with light as you did at the beginning of this world and this day.  Give us the energy we need to serve our neighbors.  Give us the enlightening wisdom we need to serve well. Give us the vision we need to see and show a new day.

Easter us with life. Help us address that which limits full life in our communities and state. Help us bring hope in despair, help in distress, and health in disruption. Help us be agents of justice, mercy and peace today.

Easter us with love. May we seek clear and respectful communication with each other. May we find ways to cooperate even in difference. May we build community here, in our state, in our nations, in your world.

In the name of the Easter One, Lord God of light, life and love. Easter us. Let all say, “Amen.”