And we are back at Nextdoor Gospel. I'm Peggy Griffith, and it is so great to be sharing this time with you today. Whether you're listening while commuting, doing chores, or maybe just taking some quiet time for yourself. I truly believe God has something very special for you in our conversation today. I hope you all had a meaningful holy week and a joyous Easter. I'll admit that this year, John and I didn't get to do Holy Week the way we usually do. He's dealing with some residual effects from his illness last year that impact his ability to breathe easily. But I am so grateful for the ministry that is live streaming seriously to all you audio visual tech people out there who make this magic happen for your churches. Thank you so much. I hope you realize how important your ministry is, and yes, it is a ministry. I mean, being able to attend in person is always impactful, but knowing this option exists when you just can't be there in person is just life giving and vital to being able to stay connected when the times are rough. But we did get to go on Sunday morning and wow, what a morning I got to smile and hug so many people I hadn't seen in a while. It was great. And the children were just. They were so adorable. Our services always have a children's message where the kiddos get to come up front and uh, they lead the congregation in the Lord's Prayer, and then typically they go off to Sunday school for the rest of the service. But this past Sunday, for Easter Sunday, we did something different. We had the kiddos stay in the pews with their family so that the people who normally are teaching Sunday school, they get the opportunity to worship in the sanctuary and. I love this idea. I grew up in a tradition where everybody had Sunday school before worship, and then the entire family was back in the sanctuary for worship. So this extra energy in the room was so very welcome for me. I. So anyway, after the Lord's Prayer, our Director of Christian Education, she released all the children back to the pews with their parents. And this one young daughter, she came back to the pew behind me and she sat next to her dad and she looked at him and said, well, this is awkward. Yes, I suppose it was for her, but she was a total trooper and even got a kick out of the brass ensemble that we had with the choir. And as I listened to Reverend Julie read from the Gospel of John about the empty tomb, and Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene and telling her to go and tell the rest of the disciples, my mind wandered a bit. Forgive me, Reverend Julie, if you're listening to the extent that I like to try to picture myself as a skeptical. Observer back at that time. I also like to think about how something like this might be portrayed in today's world of cable news outlets and social media podcasts and cell phones. I imagine all the news outlets showing up to the scene of the empty tomb, and I know some of you are too young to remember this, but I am a Gen Xer and I grew up in the age of Geraldo Rivera, and he had this special prime time episode called Al Capone's Vaults. And it was the hottest topic of conversation for weeks and lots and lots of hype had built up leading up to it that Geraldo had gotten the scoop and he was going to pry open a vault on live TV and with millions of us tuned in to our dismay, and I'm sure his own, he found, well, nothing. So I ask myself, how might the empty tomb be covered in today's world? Would Mary's story be believed? Would Anderson Cooper peek inside the tomb, suddenly seeing nothing but strips of linen cloth, try to make sense of it all? How many news anchors, theologians, scientists, and politicians would show up casting about theories on how this might have happened? I would like to think that those of us who consider ourselves Christ followers would get it right away, but would we, after all, as Nathaniel asked, can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Or would this entire event be even newsworthy at all? Maybe we wouldn't even hear about it. I came to the conclusion that quite possibly the only entity to really connect all the dots according to the scriptures would probably be chat, GPT, strictly logic, no emotion or conspiracies, just. Straight up algorithm that binds together thousands of years of research and translations, and concludes that Jesus is the Messiah and fulfilled the scriptures by rising from the dead. And it might even come with one of those cute action figure images we've been seeing floating around the socials lately. I know, I wish I would've come to a more inspirational conclusion, but it sounds kind of practical. But it's usually in these days, following Easter, making the transition of the story of Jesus resurrection to what it means for us in practical application in our everyday lives. And we start talking about living a resurrected life. But what does that really mean? My memory goes back to a couple of years ago, our church was in the process of ordaining a new minister. And in the congregational tradition we have a process that we call a Vicinage council. And this means that we hold a gathering of clergy and lay leaders from neighboring congregational churches who get to know the person seeking ordination to hear that person's statement of faith formation, and ultimately offer an affirmation of this person's call to the ministry. Typically, the ministers have an opportunity to ask questions to the candidate based on his or her journey of faith. Now, I'm gonna paraphrase this, but the candidate had stated that she hadn't fully landed on where she stands on atonement theory. And this is what I love about Congregationalism because there is recognition of an individual's liberty of conscience to make up their minds about such things. And without getting too deeply theological atonement theory speaks to the theory that Jesus, through his deeds, especially his crucifixion, acted in such a way as to achieve reconciliation between humanity and God. And there are some aspects of this theory, such as substitution, sacrificial, or redemptive. And you may hear this come through statements like, Jesus paid the debt for our sin, or Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross, or Jesus bore the penalty for our sin. It's something that many Christians hold central to their faith, and there are plenty of scripturally based teachings that dive into all these facets of atonement. And some folks are firmly rooted in one aspect or another of atonement theory, while others are still making sense out of it, and it doesn't make a person any less a follower of Jesus Christ. However, they fall in this theory in my mind. But I share this distinction with you because she was asked about her position or lack thereof on this theory. And the question was, without atonement theory, then what was the crucifixion even for, yeah, I think I just heard you suck in and hold your breath. Her answer made me wanna jump up and, and clap out loud, but again, I'm paraphrasing, she said, I think sometimes we get too stuck on the cross instead of living the resurrected life that we get to have with Jesus. And I mean, my mind was blown and my heart was full because it took a lot of courage for her to say that out loud. I'm sure of it. And I think a lot of people in that room appreciated her response. And it gave us all a lot to think about. And by the way, the council unanimously supported and affirmed her call to ministry. But I have since looked at things differently, my own ministry differently. When someone asks me what I think living a resurrected life means, I think it means that we get to continue moving forward in our walk with Jesus by our side. Instead of looking back at the tomb we left behind. And I think that's a really powerful way to look at it. And I also know that in the realities of our daily lives, it is easy to get stuck hanging out back at the tomb sometimes. I can tell you that for me, sometimes the demands between work and life just draw all the energy left of me. And it is in those moments of exhaustion that I am most vulnerable. It's funny how it works like that, right? I mean, in that vulnerable state, my mind can become bombarded with my to-do list that overwhelms me. All my failures and the ways I don't think I measure up come to head. And usually it's as soon as I lay my head down at night and try to fall asleep and just like that. There I am stuck hanging out by the tomb instead of moving forward walking in confidence with Jesus alongside me. And I suspect so many of you know exactly what I'm talking about and are in that same boat. Maybe it's regret from a past mistake. An addiction that fights like hell to pull you back in a grudge you've been holding for far too long. I also know that we aren't alone in this, and part of living out a resurrected life is simply living from our own resurrection identity, approaching our challenges, not. On our own strength, but from a place of being united with Christ in his death and resurrection because you see, you are already fully loved, you're already fully accepted and secure. And when we recognize our resurrection identity, we get to rest, trust, lean, and rely on Jesus and his promises. And what are some ways to do that? Today I'm gonna share three of my favorite things to do, and you can try these for yourself, but there are others I'm sure. But number one, get to church. And I know that sounds over oversimplified, and I know that everyone's circumstances are unique, but last year my own doctor asked me, where is a place or an activity that bring you. Real joy and instinctively just out of my mouth was simply church, and I think of church as practicing resurrection community, being in community with people who care and walk with you and pray with you and offer their wisdom to help you. It elevates my mood and it makes me live my life more purposefully, and I'm not just talking about worship on Sundays. Many churches offer gatherings on other days of the week too. You might join a weekly Bible study or a life group, participate in a service project, something that allows you to get to know God with other people who are just trying to figure it out too. And where two people or more are gathered in Christ's name, there is an opportunity for a resurrection community. When John and I lived in Arizona several years back, a group from the church we attended had these dinner groups, and once a month or so, different families would take turns hosting a simple meal in their homes. No agenda, no curriculum. Just sharing food, our lives, praying and serving on one another. Resurrection community does not need to be complicated, just intentional and in an open space for God's love and new life to grow together. And number two, music. It is why I love my music. Mondays music has such a way of breaking through all that noise in our lives and touching right to our hearts, and especially worship music for me. I mean, how many times have you heard just the right song at just the right time? And if you're like me, I like to play the song on repeat at least two or three times because by the time I get to the end of it, I feel like I haven't appreciated it enough, so I gotta play it again and again and again. And yes, singing while using your hairbrushes and microphone is totally encouraged. But I love putting a good encouraging song on my heart each day, and it's why I love sharing it with you on Mondays, and I pray it puts a little spring in your step, even if it is just for the day number three, prayer. Even if, and especially if we don't feel like doing it. And you might even be surprised to hear that it doesn't have to be dignified or even out loud. I talk to God almost all day long. I'll ask for an even temper before going into an intense meeting at work. I'll thank God for the warmth that hits my face as the sun shines through my windshield on a cold day. And in Wisconsin that is pretty often. I'll ask for help for a friend in need of a miracle cure. And then sometimes when I just don't know what to pray, I pray the prayer Jesus taught us. Yes, the Lord's Prayer. Especially in those moments when the anxiety hits and you start to feel your heart rate increase. Yeah. The Lord's Prayer is on repeat, and it it returns me gently back to a state of calm. Living a resurrected life doesn't require grand gestures or dramatic spiritual experiences. It happens in the small, faithful choices we make each day to remember who we are. To sing with our hearts full and to create spaces where we can join with others who are figuring it out just like the rest of us. It's to cultivate hope in the midst of difficulty, and to bring Christ's presence into every encounter we can. So let me ask you. Where is God inviting you to experience and share resurrected life today? What one small step could you take to begin living more fully in the reality of Christ's resurrection? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences. You can reach out to me through the, send us a text link in the episode description. Or you can connect with Nextdoor Gospel on Facebook and Instagram, and if this conversation has been helpful to you, I'd be so grateful if you'd share it with someone else who might need some encouragement today. So thank you for joining me today, and may you walk in the power and hope that resurrection brings. God's kingdom isn't just coming someday. It's already breaking through right where you are. And until next time, may the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. Amen.