April is here and signs of spring are all around us.
Longer and warmer days, blooming leaves and flowers, and putting the winter gear away for another season all help to remind us that we made it through another winter and summer is coming.
And that’s why we celebrate Easter at this time of year. It’s the biggest party that we Christians have each year as we are reminded once again of new life. The symbolism of buds blooming and snow melting is not lost on us. When all seems hopeless, when winter days are dark and cold, the ground is frozen with no sign of anything blooming, and then spring comes with that annual reminder of new life and new hope, spirits tend to perk up again.
When Christians saw that Jesus was dead and gone and that all hope was lost, folks were empty and dejected. Then He completely shocked everyone and rose from the dead. He conquered the biggest enemy of all, death, on Easter and brought new hope and life to the whole world.
We celebrate Jesus because He is alive and with us.
We also celebrate Him because He was the King of kings, and taught us a brand new way of understanding what a king really is.
In Holy Week we remember that he entered Jerusalem on a humble donkey, not a massive chariot with weapons and security guards. We also remember that He instituted the sharing of His body and blood amongst His followers. But first, he knelt on the floor and washed His follower’s feet.
He served them. As the King, he came to serve. Not to be served as all other Kings do.
In April, our missional themes are humility and servanthood because of Easter. Just like the example Jesus left for us, we humbly serve the folks who come through our doors each day. And just like Easter season, when sometimes all hope seems lost, we catch glimpses of new life and new hope through the people we are privileged to meet. And we remember that spring will always come, and there is always hope for new life.
Let’s keep on striving, with an attitude of humility and servanthood, to be the hand of God in the heart of the city.
Dion
Prayer
God of turning things on their heads,
Kingship ends when kings die,
But Your Kingship began AFTER you died.
Other kings are defeated by their death,
You became King after you defeated your own death.
You showed us what your kind of life-giving kingship is all about by humbly entering Jerusalem on a donkey,
and not on a chariot with soldiers and bodyguards and death-dealing weapons.
You washed your followers feet
Instead of demanding that they wash yours.
You gave us many examples of humility and servanthood
You demonstrated strength in your weakness.
Give us strength in our own weakness to follow your example of humility and servanthood.
Help us never to forget that Good Friday is not the end of the story,
And that Easter is always coming.
Amen