resurrection, thursday

Thursday, April 9

Opening Prayer: In the Paschal Mystery, Almighty God, You established the new covenant of reconciliation.  Grant, we pray, that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in our lives what we profess by our faith.  Amen. (Daily Prayer by Robert Benson)

Scripture: Romans 6:1-14

Journal: What does it mean to be dead to sin?  Alive to Christ?  How is this process going?

Reflection:

 

     What does resurrection look like for us, this side of heaven?  What should we expect?  What should we hope for?  And how should we expect it to unfold?  My guess is that if we've learned anything at all these last few weeks from the stories of the resurrection in scripture, it is to expect the unexpected.  But I keep wondering, what does resurrection look like in our present lives?  Does it come suddenly?  Like the earthquake that shook the tomb and rolled the stone away in Matthew?  Or does it come in a more hidden way, as it did to the travelers on the road to Emmaus; so slowly and subtly that we will have to pay careful attention to be able to recognize it.  Or will it be a long, slow process; like a journey in which the destination appears on the horizon, off in the distance, but still seems miles and miles away from a current reality?  You know that it is getting closer, slowly but surely, but can't quite tell when exactly it will arrive.
     I guess I'm wondering because of my hope that at some point this old, passing, manufactured, false self will finally be fully put to death and the new, eternal, God-breathed, true self will rise from the ashes.  But for now I still have way more of one than I'd like, and less of the other than I truly long for.  The old just keeps hanging around, with nowhere near the amount of life it once had mind you, but still ever-present nonetheless.  And the new, although it keeps gaining more of a presence and a voice within me, still is not in complete control of my thinking and my believing, my being and my doing.  How much longer will this wrestling go on before I wrestle no more and am able to rest in the fullness of all that I was created to be?

Prayers

Closing Prayer: Lord of all life and power, who through the mighty resurrection of your Son overcame the old order of sin and death to make all things new in him: grant that we, being dead to sin and alive to you in Jesus Christ, may reign with him in glory; to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be praise and honour, glory and might, now and in all eternity. Amen. (A Collect for Easter, Oremus)