Resurrection Moments

It is hard to open a newspaper, turn on the news, or scroll down your news feed on Facebook without catching another story of hate, anger, violence and hurt. The stories touch us right where we are like the story of Kayla Mueller, a local humanitarian aid worker who was taken captive and murdered in Syria. ISIS terrorist attacking and killing people.  Religious and racial persecution continues to grow.  The suicide rates are sky rocketing and shootings which seem like an everyday occurrence. It is easy to focus on the brokenness around us.  To let the shootings, violence, and hate really capture the essence of our world today. It is sad and deep down it hurts because God didn’t make us this way. This wasn’t God’s plan and here we are a week and a half away from Easter—and it is easier to think about brokenness than about the hope of resurrection.

Holy Week is filled with some of our darkest days ending with the hope in Jesus’ resurrection. We understand the darkest days part because we live in the muck and mess of death, hate and pain all the time, but it should be different. I wonder if it seems dark only because we are forgetting to notice the hope of resurrection. I wonder what would happen if we flipped it and it was mostly about resurrection moments and less about darkness.

So this morning I began thinking about the resurrection moments in the past week that I have had the opportunity to celebrate:

• Pinnacle just collected 2,545 items to donate to our local food banks, an amazing gift to the people in need all around us.   
• Last weekend 25 people went to St. Vincent de Paul and harvested 500 pounds of fresh produce to feed the hungry. We had an amazing time, laughing, gardening and enjoying being together.
• Last night at our deacon meeting we celebrated ten deacons who have served three year terms and two youth deacons who have served one year terms caring, loving and supporting our church community. These are amazing people and I am blessed to be around them. We also welcomed twelve new deacons and youth deacons to serve with energy, imagination, compassion and care—this is going to be a great year!
• On Sunday, we commissioned our Stephen Ministry program here at Pinnacle a team of church members who are willing to walk along side in a confidential relationship with another member at Pinnacle through a difficult season in their life.

And this is just at Pinnacle. I haven’t mentioned my dog who is getting better, the new book I am reading or the amazing conversations I have had this past week with friends.

It is more work to think about resurrection moments than the brokenness of the world since brokenness is plastered all around us, but this is part of our call as Christians—to live as resurrection people. To see the unity in times of disunity, the hope in the midst of despair, love in places of hate, Jesus’ resurrection right before our eyes.

What are the resurrection moments in your life? Where are the places that God has entered into your life, some that might seem broken—but there is hope. Thanks be to God!