Resurrected Life Every Day
By Darlene Carlson
It is Palm Sunday, a day of celebrating Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem, palms waving, crowds cheering. It feels festive, and there is a sense of anticipation for we know what is to come, Holy Week and the crux of our faith, the Resurrection of Christ. This is a season where our faith is at the forefront of our lives, a very holy time. In an Easter sermon, St. Augustine preached about being “Easter People”, a call to live resurrected life every day. Believing Jesus rose from the dead, we are called to live in the resurrection every single day. Not just during the holy seasons of Lent and Holy Week. Not only when we feel like it. Every. Single. Day.
This is hard. I forget. I get caught up with what is going on in the world. How can I be an “Easter person,” a part of this Easter people, every day? Turning to scripture can help light the way.
“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:
that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father,
even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Romans 6: 4 (NKJV)
I believe that an Easter person walks in the newness of life, noticing resurrection in every step. I try to greet each new day the moment my feet hit the ground. Some days they are filled with excitement, sometimes trepidation, most days just achy and sore. With awareness and gratitude in my steps for a new day, I begin to see more daily resurrections. The more I look for resurrection, the more often I see it, and the more I can be present in it.
New Life in Big Moments
In the big moments, walking in the newness of life is often easily noticed. These are the times when we are stopped in our tracks, the obvious experiences we cannot miss. A gorgeous rainbow after the storm. A newborn baby. That look into the eyes of a loved one. Newness of life is also found in experiences of intense suffering, pain, even death. In those moments, we become intensely aware, and everything else falls away. We catch our breath - the breath of joy and the breath of sorrow - and are completely present. Resurrection is happening right then and there, before us and within us.
New Life in Small Moments
Finding resurrection in small everyday moments is not as conspicuous. When I rush through my day, I forget to notice newness of life in the typical, sometimes mundane parts of my daily routine. Finding resurrection takes so much more patience and focus; I have to slow down and take a long loving look. Sunshine of the new day as I drive to work. Birds chirping in the tree outside my window. The feel of water on my hands while doing dishes. Even in the little irritations of life, this too is new life, an opportunity to notice another way of responding before simply reacting. These smaller experiences are more frequent than those big life moments, yet resurrection is just as vibrant when I take time to become more aware.
The Sacrament of the Present Moment
Daily resurrections are ways to remember God is always with you in the sacrament of the present moment. For me, this can be a challenge since many times I look to the past and future, not what is arising in the now. It is essential to pause and notice.
I pause and notice life,
from the sunshine on the blossoms to the rain against the window panes.
I pause and notice praise,
from the glorious Hallelujah to the alleluia of a baby’s coo.
I pause and notice love,
from reaching out to a treasured friend to the simple smile of a stranger.
The hope of daily resurrections is that it is never too late to begin again, to breathe in the sacredness of the now, whatever that may be. We can keep watch for the glimpses of new life in each moment, the big, small, and every breath in between. We are Easter people, sharing the journey and living in the hope of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Every. Single. Day. May we rejoice as we walk in the newness of life. Alleluia!
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Share in a Sacred Circle
Would you like to discuss your thoughts on this month’s reflection? The second full week of the month, we offer three drop-in Sacred Circles on Zoom and one in person. It’s a chance to share the monthly reflection in a safe and welcoming environment. We have a new evening session! An invitation with the Zoom link goes out on the Monday morning of the week’s sessions. Check out our times here.
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