Belly flop into Easter?  No not a new liturgical tradition for the Easter season, but follow me for just a moment.  In Luke 24:1-5, a moment of the Easter Story is shared… Luke writes,

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightening stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”

The last week of Jesus’ life is filled with questions, this is one of my favorites.  Why do you look for the living among the dead?  Why do you look for life in the land of death?  Why do you think your dreams have hit a dead-end in a cememtary?  Why do you seek the fulfillment of your dreams from things that die?

In the Centre Region, we talk alot about the good life.  It’s Happy Valley.  How could we live anything but the good life in a place called Happy Valley?   But talk to people in the Centre Region about the good life and before long you may discover a few little secrets that none of us like to talk about.  For example people are struggling with disappointment, discouragement, and even despair.

Saturday is the lonely day of the Easter weekend.  Good Friday has a purpose — we remember the death of Jesus.  Easter Sunday has  a  purpose — we celebrate the resurrection hope of Jesus.  What do we do in the in-between?  The in-between is that season between betrayal and hope.  It is the season of doubt, the season where we have been hit by the hurt of Friday but we don’t know if Sunday is coming.

Saturday is the season of choosing.  It is the season where we will choose to hang on to Good Friday hurts or belly flop into Easter Hope.

Yeah I chose the words belly flop for a reason.  If you really want to experience Easter hope you have to let go and dive in — but if you dive in, it’s going to leave a mark.  Belly Flop into Easter.