Devotion for Friday, April 17

 

"I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead." -Philippians 3:10 

 

It's been five days since we marked the Resurrection of the Lord. I had the strangest Easter I've ever known, and I'm thinking that you might have had your own holiday odyssey. It was quite different without the music, the liturgy, and the community that contributes to the joy of the day, wasn't it? If I had to describe mine, I'd say my Easter was more an "in the garden" experience-intimate and personal. As I read John 20 that morning, I felt a strong solidarity with Mary, and when Jesus spoke her name, I felt him speaking my name, too.  

 

I cherish the closeness and gentleness I experience with my Lord and Teacher, but oddly enough, the relationship I feel him inviting me to during Eastertide - this fifty day period until Pentecost--is one that moves me beyond my nearness with Jesus within the garden wall. I am being called to seek out Jesus the Christ, the Messiah and Savior of the world, in a way that I never have before, and to rely on him in a way I never have.  

 

Maybe it's due to the helplessness I often feel in our pandemic-driven circumstances and the suffering that I witness going on around me as a healthcare worker. Maybe it's due to the confusion and multiple messages that I see and hear as I flip through the channels on the TV after work every night. Whatever the case, I find myself seeking, worshiping and relying upon a huge Christ - a cosmic-sized Christ - a Christ whose power raised him from the dead, a Christ who can stabilize not only my little corner, but the whole world as we find our way through the challenges we face!  

 

Jesus Christ invites you and me to live into his resurrection power - a power not our own that comes from believing and knowing him. It's a mighty, supernatural force that offers us spiritual freedom and peace and allows us to transcend circumstances so we can face whatever may come our way. As Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:7-8: ". . .we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." May you and I be aware of and filled with the Resurrection Power of our Lord today and every day!

 

I hope you're lifted by Chris Tomlin's song:

 

Chris Tomlin - Resurrection Power

 

                                                           Chaplain Erin