Dear People of St. John’s,     

 

     In a few weeks we will celebrate the central event in the Christian faith.  We will arrive at the great Feast of the Resurrection—Easter.  I hope none of us attempt to get to Easter just by passively sitting.  Yes, the inexorable march of time will eventually move the calendar to March 23, 2008, but those who have been passive will see the day like any other.  How very sad it is to view Easter as an event only and not as a state of being. 

     Preparation for that state of being requires an honest observance of Lent, a commitment to the Palm Sunday liturgy of moving from supporting the triumphal entry with shouts of “Hosanna!” to supporting the crucifixion with shouts of “Crucify him!”  Our preparation for Easter also asks that we participate in Holy Week, the Maundy Thursday commemoration of the gift of the Holy Eucharist, and the awful and awe-filled Stations of the Cross observance at our 7:00 PM service.

     Much of that preparation depends on a mind-set.  It revolves around our view of the Day of the Resurrection—Sunday.  Is Sunday the last day of the week for you?  Is it a day to catch up on projects in order that you not fall behind as you start another week?  Is it only a day of rest and relaxation from the stresses and strains of the days just past?  How do you view Sunday?

     Make no mistake about it!  Our view of Sunday depends on whether we see it as the last day of the week or as the first day of the week.  If Sunday is the first day of the week, we will spend it in preparation for the days to follow.  We will see it as a time to get our spiritual lives in better working order.  We will want to be a part of a worshipping family that helps uphold and sustain us to our living.  We will offer our prayers of thanksgiving to a God who loves us enough to have come to us in a dramatic, self-emptying way.  How do you view Sunday?

     If Sunday is the last day of the week, the tomb remains cluttered, our spiritual lives are in the process of atrophying, and the priorities we set for ourselves remain those of our own choosing.  Seeing Sunday as the last day of the week leads us to seeing Easter as just another of those last days.

     If, on the other hand, we behave in a way that leads us to begin seeing Sunday as the first day of the week, then the tomb is empty, our personal slate is clean, and the Lord has risen indeed!  Celebrating every Sunday, as a Day of the Resurrection will, no doubt, help us arrive at Easter day with a resurrected view of life.  So, how do you view Sunday?

     The central message of the cross of Jesus the Christ is that there are no bones on it!  The cross stands empty, the tomb contains no body, and death has been overcome.  If that does not make you shout “Alleluia!  Christ is risen.  The Lord is risen indeed!” then I would suggest you examine how you view Sunday.

 

                                                                     Peace,

                                                                                                                                                                               Tom