I arrived at the church at 6pm for our Good Friday service. The service began at 7, so I wanted to be early. But I didn't know what early was.
When we arrived, we noticed several chairs at the door to one of our buildings. People had already began lining up to enter. Except, they weren't there for Good Friday. They were there for the food pantry distribution we would do later. Like more than twelve hours later on Saturday morning.
At our Easter sunrise service, I couldn't help myself. I had to make some corny joke about being at church so early in the morning. When I did, that line of people came to mind again.
The women of Luke 24 went early to the tomb. I'm not sure if their timing had to do with proper ritual or their sense of urgency. Either way, they were drawn to the tomb at early dawn. That day, spices in hand, they went to serve Jesus in his death. Instead, they experienced firsthand the power of his resurrection. "He is not here but has risen," the angels told them. That proclamation sparked the change of the world.
That line of chairs outside our church was a sermon about our need for change. It told a story, not just of hunger, but of the reality that too many people still wake up early not for joy, but just to survive. While we remembered Christ's death inside our sanctuary that night, a quiet hope formed outside. Religious folks might wonder why those people didn't come for the service. But I can't help but think they experienced the resurrection in a different way. They didn't hear the Good News from a pulpit, but from a heart-felt gesture, a smile and thankful welcome.
Like Mary and the other women, maybe we don't always experience Christ's resurrection through trumpets and fanfare. Instead, when we show up early to serve, we just might be surprised at who we meet. At what we hear and how the Lord changes our hearts in the process.
Stay blessed...john |
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