Celebrating Resurrection

Earth is crammed with heaven,  

and every common bush afire with God,       

but only he who sees  

takes off his shoes.

-Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Easter is about resurrection, about death being overcome by life. Something dead, shriveled with decay, miraculously bursts forth with green vitality, beauty and freshness.

Resurrection is about a second chance. A redo. A start-over.

Resurrection! How we long for it. How we long for death not to have the final word.

Resurrection is the only word that can describe what happened when from the tomb (a place where death reigned), miraculously, glorious life sprang forth and suddenly the world’s tears are dried and it sings, “He is risen!” What that means is that we too, and those we love, will have a second chance at life and resurrection.

Resurrection!

Where I live, reminders of resurrection are everywhere. Winter has been here for months, a bully, in our faces with unremitting grayness and frozenness. But now . . . awesomeness! This is the only time of year I feel sorry for you who spend your winters in warmer climes. I’m sorry you’re missing this resurrection show.

• Green-tipped daffodils brave the cold spring air to push through the tired soil of winter. People tell their friends, “My daffodils are up!” as if it is a blessing between them.
• Bark encrusted tree limbs relax and let their veins flow again with sap life.
• Canadian geese return like feathered bosses honking territorially at property owners turned squatters.
• Barefoot walks through soft spring grass bless toes we haven’t seen for months.
• Spring love songs ring out from birds every morning.
• Bikes are hauled out from garages, tires pumped with fresh air, ready to hit the road.
• Worms softly undulate on sidewalks.
• Lunches are eaten in the sun while winter skin soaks in Vitamin D.
• And that bright, new-to-the-world color—purple lilacs, pink crab apples, yellow daffodils—is everywhere.

Ah-h, life! Ah-h, resurrection! Don’t miss it!

I’m sorry. I trill on. Forgive me. But this is what some of you deserve for posting all those beach pictures on social media this winter!

Every harbinger of spring reminds me that, “He is risen!” And my heart sings back in worship, “He is risen, indeed!”

I visited a church recently that showed me another kind of resurrection–Lenexa Baptist Church in Lenexa, Kansas, a long-time Awana church.

I love how they explained their problem to me. They didn’t say, “We have too many kids.” They said, “We don’t have enough space.” They believe there is no such thing as too many kids. Me too!

Their solution? Resurrection!

They reached out to four struggling churches nearby and put in place a plan to revitalize those churches.

And it’s working. Now, these once-nearly empty churches are experiencing revival. It is another kind of resurrection show.

• The parking lots have cars.
• If you want your favorite pew, you have to come early.
• Children are back and church people are wondering what to do with them.

I love Lenexa Baptist Church’s heart. I love that they didn’t say, “We have too many children.”

And I take hope, seeing that nature’s pattern of resurrection points to God’s way of operating. Someday, when our bodies are overcome by death, God will speak resurrection over us and we will burst forth with new, abundant, amazing, never-before-experienced life.

That belief is reinforced every bursting-with-life spring. I see it everywhere.

Yes, I believe in resurrection!

And yes, I believe you can’t have too many children.

Happy Easter… He is risen!