Preparing for Worship – Ashley Robinson, pastoral resident.
This Sunday, May 9, marks the sixth Sunday in the season of Easter. While we direct our attention to resurrection and new life, there can also be a sense of trepidation in not knowing what to expect with all of this talk of newness. While there is certainly joy and astonishment in discovering resurrection, there can also be pain and uncertainty, leaving us wondering where to go from here. To be fair, the resurrection story threw some pretty sharp curveballs that smashed expectations.
So, what are we to do when we are left wondering what to expect? For many of us, there has been a true feeling of new life as we are beginning to emerge from life in quarantine after being vaccinated. In our congregational life, we are making plans to regather in person very soon. A new way of life is upon us, and that is exciting — excruciatingly exciting for some, and excruciatingly uncertain for others. The balm that will bind us together in this time is our worship.
This past week, many people reflected on the words of the late Rachel Held Evans on the anniversary of her death. A passage from her book Searching for Sunday speaks to this idea of anticipating newness together: “Even here, in the dark, God is busy making all things new.
So show up. Open every door … anticipate resurrection. It’s either just around the bend or a million miles away. Or perhaps it’s somewhere in between. Let’s find out together.”
As we worship today, there is room for every bit of joy, excitement, pain, anxiety, wonder and anticipation in what we bring. May the songs we sing and the words we offer direct our attention to God and help us to anticipate resurrection.
“Let’s find out together.”