Crack open the champagne....anyway

April 22, 2019

 Scripture

And now, all glory to God, who is able to keep you from stumbling, and who will bring you into his glorious presence innocent of sin and with great joy. All glory to him, who alone is God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord....Amen.  (Jude 1:24, 25 NLT)

 Crack open the champagne....anyway

 You probably don’t have champagne handy but I liked someone’s idea that we ought to crack it open on the Monday after Easter. It was his idea of combating the letdown that follows the intensity of our dark reflections on the cross and the joyful remembrance of the resurrection.

 Now is the time to live with celebration and hope. Life still is tough for many of us and Easter doesn’t plaster over that reality. But the resurrected Jesus is with and for us while we work to finish the work he initiated with his life, death and resurrection.

 Our lives, marriages, families, business ventures, relationships, institutions all have some quality of death that needs life-giving hope.  Champagne only dulls the pain for a moment but endurance and courage come from the living presence of God in all these places.

 A Prayer

 Lord, nothing about my life has particularly changed after all the Easter celebration. But you have reminded me that I need your help and the help of those around me to handle it all. Thank you for nourishing my soul this weekend, help me live with resurrection hope...… For Jesus’ sake