Dear Easter Preachers
Posted by Jordan on April 11, 2009
Dear Easter Preachers,
Please do not give the top 5 scientific/rational reasons why the resurrection is an undeniable historic fact in your sermons tomorrow. Rather, inspire those gathered to live into the new reality of resurrection life. We can only know the resurrection if we attempt to experience it in our lives. We can do this by giving without receiving, by pursuing peace without violence, by pardoning sin, by sacrificing our privilege, and by offering hope in the face of evil.
Mental acknowledgment of the historicity of the resurrection is not faith nor faithfulness. Offering forgiveness in the face of violence is.
Rachael D said
You’ll be glad to know at that my evangelical church the sermon was on being transformed personally into a new creation in light of the resurrection.
Tim said
Damn it! Wish I’d read this before yesterday morning…
B.J. Whitaker said
Can there be a strict divide between the real historical resurrection of Christ and the transformational new life He brings into our lives, our society and our world?
Jordan said
Yeah if Jesus didn’t actually rise from the dead then Christianity as is wouldn’t make much sense.
My point was not to divide the two, but rather to propose that the actuality of Christ’s resurrection can really only be known in experiencing it. So instead of preachers on Easter morning giving historical and scientific proofs for the resurrection they should invite those gathered to find out for themselves. Because in reality I think the historical/scientific evidence stuff most often (not always) appeals more to those that are already to a certain extent convinced of the historicity of the resurrection. So when the preacher gives the evidence of the historicity of the evidence the convinced feel more smug in their knowledge without ever being asked to rely upon the resurrection. And ultimately no one can prove that Christ rose from the dead. But we can live as if he has.