Church

Where two are more are gathered. It is easy to talk about God and church. I can work it into any conversation just by saying, " In church yesterday I heard an interesting idea...". People often open up about their church experience after that or ask more about mine. I enjoy the smiles and hugs. I enjoy the discussions and messages. What I love most is the music and singing. Who can live with out song and dance? What I don't like is that after years of teaching, organizing, giving, and helping as much as possible; I am left with feeling that I still have not done enough. Even worse, I feel that I do not matter to anyone. Oddly, I believe I heard the minister say the same thing in his message today. He spoke about the humble donkey who carried the great Savior. And now the pastor does much the same in carrying the great message. But who can love a donkey? They work and then stand isolated in the field. Cute but not cuddly, powerful but apprehensive. Jesus warns us that we will feel alone, and sometimes rejected. He did not warn us that we will actually feel jealous of those who seem connected and loved and welcomed. Though we all know one must be a friend to make a friend, we still can't always pick our friends. We might feel called by God, but never called by those with whom we try to build relationships. What is the barrier? I must be sending the wrong signals. It is so depressing sometimes that the Jonah effect is all that is left- the feeling that running away to start new will solve everything. So, donkeys of the world unite. Eat your humble pie, continue to do the work of love, knowing with all assurance that you will be filled and fulfilled if your heart and mind is open.

Resurrection

This is the subject that is the whole basis for our faith and hope in Jesus' Way. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead after three days in a tomb proves that he is not an earthly human. Jesus said he would do this loving act to complete a promise to die for the sins of all people on earth. The celebration of the resurrection is a grand holiday with trumpets blaring and shouts of alleluia. This celebration has been paired with the rites of Spring. Many witnesses have given testimony to the risen Lord, the most compelling may have been from Thomas the doubter. He felt the holes in Jesus hands and bowed down and said, "My Lord and my God". We now are given the chance to be the ones who believe without seeing. It is a hard story to believe. Nothing has ever happened like this before or since. But, the joy of believing opens the doors to a new life that is free from fear and doubt. Those insidious tempters that still cause us to feel sad, lonely, hurt, left out, angry, jealous, lacking of confidence, greedy, hungry and insatiable; are constantly causing us to forget the resurrection joy. Jesus conquered death and wishes us to have eternal life for simply believing what is hard to believe, but oh so lovely. Intelligent people have converted to Christianity, people who seemingly have no need for God, believe. Religion is not just an elixir for the oppressed. It is not a collection of Fairy Tales. Christianity offers a code of moral behavior and an incredible opportunity to realize something beyond our simple understanding of the universe. If we become better people will we live longer and happier lives? Yes, but that is not the goal. The goal is the joyous pain free life to come.