Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Letters From the Soul: This Month's Newsletter Column

"He is Risen"

Dear Church,

One of my favorite television shows currently on the air is the sitcom “Community,” which depicts a group of lovable college misfits. One of those characters—Shirley—is an evangelical Christian whose faith is demonstrated in a variety of ways on the show, sometimes for comedic effect and sometimes for conveying love. My personal favorite expression of her faith, however, is in the apron she wears whenever she is baking something—on the apron is a pair of breadsticks in the shape of the Cross, with the caption “He is Risen.” (Because bread also rises!)

It’s clever in its own way, perhaps a bit cheesy, but it represents the creativity that folks now have in how they express their faith. For many people, if you didn’t catch them in church, you might never know they were practicing Christians. For us, I hope our faith is a bit more visible.

Because the Easter story, at its core, is one of visible faith. Without the Resurrection, the story of Christ would likely never have been told the way it has been. Jesus would have been remembered, but more as a moral teacher and rabbi than as who He also was—the Messiah, Son of the living God. It was the Resurrection that sealed the deal—it guaranteed that Jesus would be written about, talked about, and followed for years. And because of it, we are Christians today.

So, this Easter season, I invite you to ask yourself, how does the empty tomb inspire your own expressions of faith? How can you bring your own creativity and gifts to bear in proclaiming the love of the Risen Christ in your life today?

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Eric

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