Easter Week - a Week of Anticipation, Participation and Salvation

What a week. I have thoroughly enjoy the journey through this week of my life. It has had heaps of drama, crazy deadlines, foot washing and a lot of good food and conversation.

The week has been really busy, I have had a deadline at work that has been giving me and others stress. We made the deadline, with time to spare so that was great. On Tuesday night me and a number of my friends from Mosaic and associates hold our weekly Lost Night. The lost episode was great, much better than the Juliet episode a week before. I won’t give any information out about it because it hasn’t screened yet in New Zealand. We had the best steak ever. It was medium rare and was pretty mean. Thanks to the skill of the cook, Justin Blass.

On Wednesday night I went along to MCG, our time of spiritual formation. We had communion and did foot washing. I found this really moving and enjoyed the whole time.

The weekend has been pretty full on yet great as well. Easter is so deep and meaningful. It is central to Christianity because it sums up the Christian message, Jesus came to earth to be crucified on a cross. Our God became human, became poor, like the poorest of criminals and died on a cross, only to be risen on the third day. The resurrection to me is central, I believe it is only through the resurrection that we in fact have hope. As we find out from Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians.

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.
For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
1 Cor 15:12-17

Without the resurrection Jesus’ action on the cross is in vain.

Last night was brilliant. I was stressing out a lot about especially as I had to cook. I’m only an apprentice when it comes to cooking but I think I did a pretty good job with the meal I prepared. Note that Justin and Lacey make a mean lasagne! For the evening we went through from empty tomb through the Jesus’ meeting with the disciples. This was deeply meaningful. I enjoy the whole symbolism and spirituality of the evening. The toast to full life was probably the most awesome period as I had a glass of spicy, full bodied red wine in hand. This really summed up the kind of life that I have, and want to have as I follow God.

I also had a Brilliant conversation with a girl at dinner. We told our story of what God has brought us through and what God has being teaching us. I found it a real privilege to hear her story and I believe it was a very meaningful experience for both of us. I’m looking forward to having her part of the journey that Mosaic is going through and seeing how God develops her. Its exciting because I can see all the energy she has, the passions she has for Justice, the passion she has for learning and the passion she has to know more. I really pray that she would develop a real deep passion and love for Christ and that Mosaic provides the community she wants. I’m looking forward to seeing how her gifts change the community and how she grows because of Mosaic.

This is the thing I love about Mosaic, being able to share our stories in a non-obliging way. We really want to hear what people are going through, how God is leading them. Sharing one another’s stories and learning from these conversations about who God is and celebrating that.

Rhythm
The last period of my life has been a real challenge. I really feel like I have been going through another period of detox. This time a period of detoxing from myself. I don’t think this has totally ended. But I think I may actually starting to get it, get what community life means. I’m starting to also change my view of church and mission. Its becoming more natural than it has been in the past. I tell you though, it is intense. I don’t think in any other period of my life have I given so much in time and energy to a vision, to something. The ideas consume me, I actually know I am going to move forward further, I want to critically evaluate what I do with my money, time and energy in light of the mission of God. It means I live naturally, I need a healthy balance, but this rhythm is different than the culture I live in. I’m learning it means I give myself my time and energy to people. I live a life of service for everyone that comes across my path. This is completely countercultural, rather than living for myself, fulfilling my comforts and needs I want to give up myself for this.

This is hard, my flesh continues to resist these changes, I’ve complained bitterly about this, both to myself and people I know. But its weird, we need resistant. I call it resistant training. Like a marathon runner, we need to put in the effort, push ourselves to the limit to grow. We push against the resistant to grow, to learn to be more Christ-like. It is not easy, its real hard, but its worth the sweat, the blood and the tears.

I feel so privileged to be on this journey, I need to learn so much. I need to learn what its means truly to serve. I need to learn what it really means to be humble. I need to learn what it means really to be honest about my faults. I need to learn so much. What an adventure.