April Vision

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Vision Article
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
April 2009

From the Pastor’s Desk

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you." So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. (Mark 16)

Recently I have been teaching children at our 3PM service. I am always amazed at their energy and excitement. They have a keen sense of wonder. For the rest of us wonder has long ago disappeared. It has been replaced by competence, hard work and education. As we grow older fewer things surprise and amaze us.

Even Easter has lost its ability to amaze us. We cannot approach it in wonder because we have been here so many times before. Easter is on our calendars. It is a time to dress up and get together with families. The old Bible stories have been told over and over. The Pastor never seems to find anything new to say. Contrast this with the first Easter when a group of women found what they least expected, an empty tomb! Mark tells us they were frightened, alarmed, seized by terror and amazed.

So this year let us try to recapture some of the sense wonder at Easter. Here are some ideas on how to do this. First, keep the Sabbath holy, just as the women did at the first Easter day. They had come to the tomb after a day of rest and prayer. Prayer prepares us to receive the gift of wonder. Second, look for God in everything you do. God is there in your family and friends and the people you work with. If you look for God in the ordinary things of life God will amaze you. And finally, always be receptive to what God is doing in your life. You are being blessed by God every moment, and if you recognize this, you will be in a constant state of wonder. And childlike wonder is my Easter wish for you.

Pastor Jeff