Resurrection Day

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"The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances." ~Robert Flatt

I can’t believe I’m hearing the words “wind chill factor” on Easter Sunday, but I’m willing to overlook that and think good thoughts on this day on rebirth and renewal.

I’m feeling kind of rundown after running around in the rain yesterday to do my Saturday chores. I hope I’m not coming down with anything; but if so, well, this, too will pass.

I just watched televangelist Joel Osteen (yes, I did, actually), who spoke about being planted versus being buried.

You bury a corpse, he said, but you plant a seed and stand back to watch it grow. I like that, especially given my often (constant?) negative attitudes.

I went to my usual weekly service this week at Trinity Church, or as I like to call it, “Sanity Church,” since the people there help keep me from flipping my lid.

I wasn’t going to go on this particular day because I was running late for the 12:05 pm service, but I knew that I wouldn’t be able to make any other service this week, so off I went. I'm glad I made the effort.

I missed the opening hymn and caught the tail end of the prayer for confession and forgiveness of sins, but fortunately I was in time for a fabulous sermon by Rev. Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones.

I have to be honest: I love this guy. His sermons are so honest and moving that some days I swear he wrote them specifically for me. He’s intelligent, compassionate, and selflessly dedicated to his congregation. We need many more like him.

This particular sermon was so good that I started taking notes as this were a news event that I was covering. It felt a little strange taking notes in church, but I liked what I was hearing. Now I wish I had brought a tape recorder to get his exact words.

This was on Spy Wednesday, the day that Judas betrayed Jesus. Rev. Jones read from the Gospel of John that describes how after Jesus gives Judas the piece of dipped bread, “Satan entered into him.” Then Jesus told Judas, “what you are going to do, do quickly” and Judas went into the night.

Rev. Jones talked about how we are like Judas when we turn away from God. He noted that John’s Gospel makes several references to light and asked us do we want to live in darkness, like Judas or do we want to live in the light.

As I was leaving the church, I made a point of thanking Rev. Jones for his sermon and he gave me a hearty "you're welcome!" I do feel welcome there, thanks to him and the other people at Trinity.

Planting seeds…living in the light…I think I get the message here. It's about something so powerful that even a driving rain or the wind chill factor can’t slow it down.

Happy Easter.

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