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Weekly Meditation
by Sandra English
Luke 24:36-48
As they were talking about all this, there he was, standing among them. Startled and terrified, they thought they were seeing a ghost. But he said "Why are you so perturbed? Why do questionings arise in your minds? Look at my hands and feet? It is I myself. Touch me and see; no ghost has flesh and bones as you can see that I have. They were still unconvinced, still wondering, for it seemed too good to be true. So he asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They offered him piece of fish they had cooked which he took and ate before their eyes.
And he said to them, "This is what I meant by saying, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms was bound to be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. "This," he said, "is what is written: that the Messiah is to suffer death and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that in his name repentance bringing the forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed to all nations. Begin from Jerusalem; it is you who are the witnesses to it all" (The New English Bible/Oxford Study Edition)
Resurrection - rise again (1) a rising from the dead (2) a coming back into notice...revival...the rising of Jesus from the dead...(Webster's New World Dictionary).
Resurrection - return to life, transformation, rebirth; see renewal. (Webster's New World Thesaurus).
Hallelujah! We are in the Resurrection. This is the time when we, as Christians, recognize the coming back to life of Christ.
It's also Spring where we are surrounded by new life in the greenery of trees and shrubs. We see the many magnificent colors of flowers and the birth of many different animals. Once dormant, Nature reminds us of the tremendous renewal that has taken place from the sorrow of Lent to the joy of the risen Christ.
The Joy of this Resurrection is that God is doing a new work in us. We are coming to a new understanding of our relationship with God perhaps through your reading of the Lenten devotions, or during Lent putting away or stopping something that was hindering you or your relationship with God, or following the church's pilgrimage to the cross by attending church during Lent, observing the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday meditations.
Hopefully, these spiritual exercises have made you more contemplative and brought you closer to God. Perhaps you're just beginning with these meditations. Know that through this process you will come to a new understanding of your relationship with God just as Jesus opened the disciples minds - bringing peace to quell their fears and an edict to bear witness to all that they had seen.
The Psalmist realizes that through his fears God has been and continues to be an active presence in his life as reflected in Nan Merril's version of Psalm 4:
Commune with the Heart of your heart
as you rest,
and be in silence.
Make peace with your fears,
and trust in Love...
In peace will I spend my days and
sleep at night;
For You alone, my Beloved
take away my fears.
(Psalms for Praying:
An Invitation to Wholeness
By Nan C. Merrill)
We have a new understanding: as we nurture our relationship with God and allow God to nurture us, we will grow. Inspite of the struggles, fears, and disappointments of our everyday life we have the presence of God with us. God's presence gives us a new understanding: that in the midst of difficult things, God ever present gives us peace, love, joy, hope, and courage.
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