Lent and Holy Week this year were a profound spiritual journey for me and the body of DEC.  This season of preparation for Easter was so powerful I am still reflecting on the highlights which I know bring great hope to all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The sermon series for Lent had us slow our lives down to get personal with God. There was a period of remembering what God had done for His people in the past. Then we worked on meditating on His word to learn how to communicate with the Lord, tell him what’s on our hearts, listen for His response, and let Him teach us. Truly a miracle that should humble us: the Lord of all creation finding us valuable and communing with us. Then there was a time of cleansing. In our Small Group we spent time in corporate confession and sharing the road to our repentance. At this point we were very open to Him and the emotions that were experienced were powerful – pulled at our hearts – but ultimately freeing of the spirit.

By the time Holy Week came, it all started coming together. Our hearts were prepared through our cleansing. Our minds were set on the details gleaned from the study and meditation on God’s word.  Our souls yearned to experience the resurrection. In talking with people throughout the body, I could sense the anticipation for the events of Holy Week to unfold. Wednesday communion, the gathering of the body for praise, worship, and remembrance, was very powerful.

The Maundy Thursday service was a time of meeting with God through His word, reflecting on the significance of the last supper, the first communion, and Jesus’ example to us of humility and serving others by the washing of the feet, his mission to go prepare a room for us in His Father’s house, and the promise to return to gather His faithful servants.

Good Friday was a night of intense personal soul searching as we reflected on the heart of Jesus, The Father’s love, the gift we’ve been given, and trying to come to grips with the enormous cost of that gift.

At all three of those events the seats were filled with God’s people seeking His face, honoring Him in prayer and praise.   All to the glory of God the Father.

Easter Sunday was the culmination of all these things, building over the six weeks of Lenten preparation. The worship was genuine and intense.  Hands were high in the air, and tears of joy were being shed all around me. The tomb is empty, and all God’s people rejoice with Him. I was thinking, as I pondered that scene, “This body that we call DEC really gets it.”

So it’s Monday morning after Easter. Is there such a thing as a spiritual hangover? We’re feeling that there’s got to be more. This intense spiritual journey we’ve been on together can’t end here. Well it doesn’t. To us has been revealed the truth in God’s word. He has given us peace, hope, purpose, and the offer of life to the fullest. We understand life so it is a blessing and not a drudge. Remember your old life before Christ, and then think of what you have now.  We need to make sure at every opportunity we share what we have with someone who doesn’t have it. It’s an awesome gift, and we want it for everyone.

In his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul urges the faithful on: “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Philippians 2:12-13.

Nothing ended on Monday morning. The experiences of Lent, Good Friday, and Easter were just part of a journey, a journey which is our faith. It is a journey which will not end until we see the good Lord return or call us home. Let’s take all we’ve learned, all the emotion we’ve felt, all we’ve experienced, and use it to allow God’s good purpose to be fulfilled through us. This is the way to continue the Easter journey. This is the way to continue the Easter miracle.

I pray God blesses our efforts for His kingdom.
Mark

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 at 8:24 am and is filed under Uncategorized.