Eastertide is a season of celebrating resurrection appearances. I have met Christ…in ICU, at MSU, at church camp, in an office, in a sanctuary, on a walk, waiting for AAA to arrive when stranded on the side of the road, and…
Christ appears to us all. Where have you met the risen Christ? Last Sunday, Judy, Meredith, and Janet shared some moments when the risen Christ appeared to them. Their stories were beautiful and inspiring.
The Passion of Christ did not end on the cross, yet, the cross is the central symbol of the Christian faith. Upon entering the west doors of Westminster for the first time in 2018, I said, “What a beautiful cross, I’ve never noticed it when walking or driving by.”
During my interim year, I asked a friend, who is a graphic designer, if he would create an image of Westminster’s west entrance, emphasizing the cross, (see below). Later, I mentioned to Dick that I thought it would be wonderful if we could paint the cross a bolder color. Then Amy created an image of our entrance with a dark red cross. (Yes, are fortunate to have a professional architect.) I love the symbolism.
The cross is a symbol of a Crucified God--the most meaningful symbol of my faith; a suffering God who fully enters into our suffering with us—much more than just for us.
Many of the finest humans I know love a crucified God who walks with crucified people--a suffering God who feels all of our pain--and thus reveals and redeems our plight as God’s own. As Richard Rohr says, “Jesus does not observe human suffering from a distance; he is somehow in human suffering, with us and for us.”
May everyone who drives by, and everyone who walks through our church doors, feel Christ with us and for us in our suffering and in our resurrection moments. May Westminster's cross be a symbol to all who pass by of how Jesus came to change the mind of humanity about God (not to change the mind of God about humanity). There was no debt to be paid; there is simply love to be lived and proclaimed.
The color we chose for Westminster’s entryway cross is “Fine wine”. Again, splendid symbolism: bread broken, and wine poured--as we worship and love together.
In Christ. In Love.
Pastor Micki
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