Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Do you ever get frustrated that you have not done enough?  That you are not good enough?  That despite your best efforts you still failed?  To varying degrees all of us feel that way at times.  I do and you do.  We all do.  So today, in this Easter season, hear some good news.

The Easter message is one of celebration.  It’s a celebration that is not about us.  It’s about the power of God. It is an invitation to come and see what has happened.  Christ is alive.  Jesus is risen.  In spite of all the anger and violence directed towards Jesus, he rose from the dead.  The Easter story tells us that nothing can stop the love that is God – absolutely nothing.  Easter is time to kick off our shoes, to dance to the music and to celebrate the power of resurrection – the power of a God that stops at nothing to invite us into relationships of love and acceptance.

Some of you journeyed with me in the hard work of trying to give things up for Lent – things like apathy and bitterness, a small view of God, giving up pride and privilege and impatience and feelings of failure.  Some of you may have felt discouraged at how hard it is to give up these things.  Some of you may have given up trying to give up these things.  Some of you I know, stayed with me to the very end.  To all of you, I say, now is the time to celebrate.  Its not all about what we try to do, it is also about God and God never gives up.  God continues to be a force of love and compassion and care in your life, now and always.  God continues to goad us into right living at the very same time as accepting us for who we are.  God doesn’t love us because we scored well on what we tried to do during lent.  God doesn’t give us a passing grade or a failing grade.  No.  God simply loves us – frankly with no expectation that we will love God in return.  That’s the nature of love – it is given with no expectations.  It is given freely.

And when we learn that, when we experience that, it is ultimately freeing – it is in itself a deep experience of salvation.

So it doesn’t matter whether you think you did well over Lent in terms of giving things up.  What matters is that you know God loves you – that God breaks through every possible barrier to show that love.  That’s the Easter story.  So get up.  Kick off your shoes and dance!  For God is good.  All the time, God is good.

Take care

Marty (he, him)

Minister, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

P.S.  A warm thank you to the congregation for our two weeks holiday following Easter.  It was a wonderful family time.  We were able to rest, enjoy each other, enjoy our family including our grandchildren and make some wonderful memories together.