{"id":1453,"date":"2015-04-10T10:55:03","date_gmt":"2015-04-10T15:55:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/clauson\/?p=1453"},"modified":"2015-04-10T11:06:44","modified_gmt":"2015-04-10T16:06:44","slug":"testifying-to-the-resurrection-you-wont-want-to-miss-this-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/clauson\/2015\/04\/10\/testifying-to-the-resurrection-you-wont-want-to-miss-this-one\/","title":{"rendered":"Testifying to the Resurrection (you won\u2019t want to miss this one)!"},"content":{"rendered":"
During this first week of Easter, I\u2019ve been reflecting on the stories of Resurrection in the Gospels.\u00a0 <\/span>I preached on Easter Sunday at Iglesia La Hermosa (The Beautiful Church) and the service was<\/em> beautiful, as we also celebrated communion, which is very rare in evangelical churches in Oaxaca, and two dear friends of ours announced their engagement!\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n I started my sermon with a monologue from Mary Magdelene because\u00a0all four of the gospels identify\u00a0her among the first witnesses of the resurrection. \u00a0My goal was to try and help us connect with her\u00a0many emotions that Easter morning when she and the other women\u00a0went early in the morning to the tomb to anoint Jesus’s body with spices and oil,\u00a0only to find the stone rolled away and Jesus\u2019 body gone.\u00a0 They were met by angels who tell them that Jesus has risen and they run to tell the disciples “with fear and great joy” (Matt. 28:8).\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n But since a women’s testimony meant nothing in Jesus’s time, the disciples don’t believe, and only Peter and John are curious enough to go and take a look.\u00a0 <\/span>John believes and\u00a0we\u2019re not sure what Peter thinks about it all, but they leave Mary alone at the tomb.\u00a0 I can only imagine Mary’s confusion, fear and sadness, as she<\/span>\u00a0stays by the tomb weeping.\u00a0 And yet<\/span>, in the midst of her utter grief, she encounters\u00a0the Risen Lord, only she doesn\u2019t know it is Jesus.\u00a0 <\/span>Not until he calls her name, “Mary”, does she recognize him and holds onto him tightly.\u00a0 <\/span>However, Jesus sends her on with a mission to tell the disciples (once again) and she goes forth with joy to tell them the good news:\u00a0 <\/span>I have seen the Lord!<\/span><\/p>\n Alleluia!!!\u00a0 May we also encounter the risen Lord and share how we see Him\u00a0bringing life in, through and around us!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>So, today, we want to testify to life, like Mary, and share our good news with you!<\/p>\n We will be leaving Oaxaca in June as a family of FOUR and returning one year later as a family of FIVE!<\/b><\/p>\n As we\u00a0anticipate\u00a0this surprising new gift of life,\u00a0we have experienced\u00a0many emotions, similar to what Mary and the women\u00a0felt, including “fear and great joy”! \u00a0I am thankful that I have been feeling well other than extra fatigue and a few weird cravings for things that I can\u2019t get here in Oaxaca, like dill pickles. \ud83d\ude42 \u00a0I just finished my first trimester and baby and momma are doing well.<\/p>\n Please pray for us all, as we are in the midst of many changes, including this new and exciting one!\u00a0 <\/span>Pray that we may experience God\u2019s resurrection life, hope and joy in our family, as we say goodbye to friends here and get ready for what God has for us this next year.<\/span><\/p>\n
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