Dear First Pres,
Who else has a heavy heart as they trudge through this week? We grieve for those who have lost loved ones to gun violence or those whose homes have been destroyed by flooding or tornadoes. It continues to be a season of crying out for the Lord to bring his full restoration and hope to all those who mourn. There are many people who do not know how to grieve with hope, which is exactly what the Lenten season and Holy Week have prepared us for. Who is the Spirit leading you to invite into deeper relationship and share the transformative love of Jesus with this Easter season? Who are you bringing to church on Easter to hear the good news of how God rescues us from this mess and beautifully restores what is broken? Jesus defeats both death and destruction, and he invites us into the healing process.
Jesus is a healing presence throughout Scripture. He frequently invites people into the process. Therefore, the church, equipped by the Holy Spirit, is also called to do the work of being a healing presence today. As the body of Christ we need to create space for people to experience Jesus as healer. As a part of Jesus’s body on earth, we can assist sufferers in their journey, both in the pain and in the restoration. Jesus is not disconnected from us, but rather fully empowers us to do the hard work we are called to do.
God, creating each person uniquely with a purpose, is flexible to meet people in their variety of ailments. He clearly shows that there is not a one-size fits all scenario in the healing accounts found throughout the Gospels. As the church moves towards its purpose to be a tangible manifestation of Jesus’s Spirit, people seeking one level of healing may receive broader, holistic healing that draws them into a deeper relationship with their Creator. May we be a hospitable place for people to wrestle with their theology and share their whole story. As people grow in faith they can testify that Jesus is much more than his ability to heal the body.
God also has the authority to restore all of life. This is at the heart of the Gospel. Jesus rose from the dead victorious and invites us to lay down our lives and follow him fully surrendered. And in the reconciliation power of Jesus, he is offering us a new way of living in the tension of the already but not yet reality of God’s Kingdom here on earth. As his Kingdom people we grieve with hope and invite others into God’s family so they may know the love, truth and joy found in following Jesus. You are seen. You are loved. You are made new in Jesus. Now let’s share our joy of God’s transformative love with others!
Blessings,
Meagan
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