I had a great pastor when I was a teenager. He knew his
theology. I was curious what a minister did in terms of everyday work. When
I asked Dr. Erickson, he told me some of the different tasks and work. Then
he said, "But the most important thing is: you raise the dead." What
an answer!
The focus of all Christians should be on raising the living
dead. Like in Simon and Garfunkle’s classic song, "Sounds of Silence," where
there were "voices shared, no one dared, disturb the sounds of silence." Our
calling as Christians is to break the silence and raise the roof with shouts
of joy for the new life God is giving us. We do a lot of important things,
but the most important work of all is our calling from Christ to raise the
living dead. As the ancient church father Ireneaus said, "The glory of
God is a human being fully alive."
Holy week is our time to look into the heart of the greatest
mystery: suffering, death and resurrection life. Listening for the
Spirit to speak to us in worship helps us to experience again the profound
meaning of God’s gift of new life. This Easter, do someone a potentially
life-changing favor: invite them to worship. And together with Christ, let’s
raise the dead with shouts of joy!
Sincerely,
Andrew L. McDonald
Pastor
Shout It Out: Easter’s Coming!
