OUR PASTOR
Pastor Keith Weatherford
“Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!”
An overarching theme of the Easter season is one of belonging. From Thomas still finding his place despite, or perhaps because of, his doubts, to our place in the sheepfold and on the vine, to the embrace of the Spirit, we are reminded repeatedly about our place in God’s family. Russian nesting dolls may be helpful in illustrating this theme. Jesus is within God, and we are in turn within Jesus as his sheep, his fruit, his people. Just like those smaller dolls inside the larger doll, we are embraced and protected at every level. We are not just with Jesus but within Jesus, as much a part of him as he is of God. The security that knowledge brings can be a springboard for action in the world: sharing the good news, spreading the love of Jesus, and working for justice. The Easter season will hopefully inspire those hearing the message to act with the knowledge that, no matter the outcome, possible missteps, questions, or doubts, there is always a place for them in the fold or on the vine. Jesus does not ask us to be perfect but to abide in him and to bear fruit.
When we find our place and sense of belonging within the abiding, triune God, we are also reminded that there are others who belong to God with whom we are encouraged to build community despite our differences. The Easter texts use multiple images of “the many”: a flock of sheep, the branches of a grape vine, and a multitude of strangers of various nationalities and languages gathered on the Day of Pentecost. There is a push for unity within the body of Christ throughout the Easter texts. As we move through them, the images of what binds us together become more and more abstract. The resurrected Jesus gathers his followers around him behind locked doors and then around a beach fire and breakfast. Images of physical gathering give way to metaphorical nonhuman images of flocks of sheep and vineyard branches full of grapes. Then the invisible but powerful Holy Spirit begins to move and push us together. It all builds to Pentecost when we are brought together through language and deeper understanding. Through this journey, we are taken from the very familiar group of disciples, to images out of nature that show unity without diversity, and then finally to an image that is highly relatable: a large group of people who go from only seeing their differences to being unified by the Holy Spirit. It is this unity, within God and within the body of Christ, that drives our Easter season and should continue to drive our efforts to live out our roles as disciples in the world.
Through the stories of this season, we see how the early disciples and followers of Jesus struggled to find their bearings after Jesus ascended into heaven. These stories reflect our own struggles with belonging and faith and can be used as encouragement to come together and show God’s presence to one another, to work together to show God to others, and to follow the example of Jesus in how we bring communities together through justice, peace, and love.
In Christ’s love,
Pastor Keith
This article is an excerpt and adaptation of the seasonal essay “Preparing for Easter.” That was first published in Sundays and Seasons 2024, Year B, copyright © 2023 Augsburg Fortress.
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Email pastorkeith@helenastjohns.org or call (406) 442-6270
