You have heard Holy Week sermons on the last seven words of Jesus, but what about the first seven words after his Resurrection? On Saturday, April 23, Kerry Sopoci and Beth Pellin Kaiser helped us explore Jesus’s continuing message for us.
These words are:
“Who (or what) are you looking for?” John 20:1-18
“Do not be afraid.” Matthew 28:8-10
“What are you so concerned about?” Luke 24:13-34
“Peace be with you.” Luke 24:35-43
“Go into the world.” Matthew 28:18-20
“Have you caught any fish?” John 21:1-23
“Wait for the gift.” Acts 1:1-11
Along the way we were reminded that, when circumstances make us question why, we should Stop, Breathe, and Believe. Let the Holy Spirit touch our spirit with peace. Learn to cultivate whole-heartedness: be authentic, let go perfectionism, develop a resilient spirit, be grateful and joyful even in the dark, let go of the need for certainty, let go of anxiety, embrace work that is meaningful, be creative in work, play, and rest, and always remember to dance and sing.
Together we prayed Jan Richardson’s poem Risen: for Easter Day, from her book Circle of Grace:
If you are looking
for a blessing,
do not linger
here.
Here
is only
emptiness,
a hollow,
a husk
where a blessing
used to be.
This blessing
was not content
in its confinement.
It could not abide
its isolation,
the unrelenting silence,
the pressing stench
of death.
So if it is
a blessing
you seek,
open your own
mouth.
Fill your lungs
with the air
this new
morning brings
and then
release it
with a cry.
Hear how the blessing
breaks forth
in your own voice,
how your own lips
form every word
you never dreamed
to say.
See how the blessing
circles back again,
wanting you to
repeat it,
but louder,
how it draws you,
pulls you,
sends you
to proclaim
its only word:
Risen.
Risen.
Risen.
(© Jan Richardson. janrichardson.com. Used with permission.)