120429 I Quit Lying

You are a liar.

Denying it only proves my point, you liar!

The truth is - no lie - that we lie on a regular basis.  Sometimes we lie when somebody asks how we are and we say we're doing great even though we aren't.  Or we treat someone like we really like them when secretly we don't care much for them.  Or we tell someone they did a great job at something when they actually didn't.  Or we tell someone we can't accept an invitation because we're too busy, when we simply don't want to go.

As a rule, I think everyone would agree that dishonesty is a practice to avoid.  The Bible has many verses affirming such a position.  But before we learn from Geri Scazzero, let's clarify some things.  There are some instances in the Bible when Abraham, Jacob, and Jesus - three major characters (to say the least) - lied.  And while there exists some commentary admonishing Abraham and Jacob (nobody admonishes Jesus...), the Bible itself does not reprimand their behavior.  There are other instances where characters lie, and they are reprimanded severely.

Not everyone deserves our complete honesty.  Why would I be honest about the whereabouts of my valuables with a burglar?  Why would I let a madman know my wife and children are locked in a closet while he is threatening their harm?  Why would I give a terrorist information that could be used to cause great harm to many people?

If asked how I am doing by a mere acquaintance, why would I tell them I'm struggling with depression and anxiety if they obviously don't have time or interest in hearing anything other than that I'm fine?  Why would I tell the person who invited me for dinner that their cooking was awful?  Would you tell a kid who just sang their heart out - off key the whole way - that they should be embarrassed?

Are their occasions where protective lying makes more sense than complete honesty?  Are there appropriate times for gracious lying?

What I think Geri Scazzero is getting at here is a pattern where we alienate ourselves from our True Self in lying to others about a wide range of things.  We can get comfortable sweeping issues under the rug, or being false with others when strength comes from being who we really are.  Part of what she experienced in her life was that church culture does not always welcome transparency.  Rather, the church sometimes would prefer people to wear masks of niceness, keeping the ugly truth of a challenging life hidden from others.

Virginia Satir noted that most of us live inhuman lives because we live inhuman rules about ourselves.  The following unspoken rules are alive and well in many families and churches today:

• Don't show your feelings.
• Don't show off.
• Don't talk back.
• Always be nice.
• Don't fight.
• Always be good.
• Obey authority at all times.
• Always be on time.
• Don't boast; pride goes before the fall.
• Mistakes can kill, so never make one.

When I felt emotions such as anger, sadness, or disappointment, I tried to ignore them.  Wasn't the Christian life supposed to be joyful and abundant?  I asked God to take these feelings away; he didn't.  So I kept lying.  - Geri Scazzero, I Quit!

Scazzero recounted a painful moment in her life when her husband intentionally failed to show up for a very important family event.  She let her pain and anger boil for five years before it got brought out into the light of day.  FIVE YEARS!!!!  Holy cow!  But we all have a way of not being honest with ourselves and others about the pain we cause each other.  We stuff it somewhere and swear we're not bothered by anything.  But this pattern of lying, while it may keep the peace for awhile, catches up with us...

Lying may provide short-term relief.  It comes, however, at a cost.  What seems like a harmless lie at the moment becomes more complicated and difficult with time.  The easy way out turns out to be more difficult.  Our relationships grow more distant and diminishes in quality.  People's trust in us lessens.  Our stress increases.  We carry more anxiety in having to remember what version of reality we told people.  And most importantly, our ability to love God and others, the very meaning of our existence, worsens.  - Geri Scazzero, I Quit!

She realized in time that if she hoped to experience love in her life, she needed to make a change.

Lying on the inside made it impossible for me to genuinely love others.  My inner conflicts combined with repressed sadness and anger rendered me unpredictable and unsafe.  Anger smoldered beneath my loving Christian demeanor.  The day I admitted I wasn't really a very loving person was the day I took a huge step toward becoming a loving person.  - Geri Scazzero, I Quit!

Being honest with ourselves can be incredibly sobering.  I don't think we are called to feel miserable about ourselves all day long, but I do think we are called to walk humbly, in full awareness of our potential for being really foolish.  Being honest with others is no less challenging...

Speaking truth does not ensure a welcomed response from your listener.  Truth spoken irresponsibly or disrespectfully almost always creates unnecessary damage...  Speaking truth in love involves choosing the right timing, using words respectfully, taking responsibility for our own thoughts and feelings, and speaking in the "I".  We are not born with these skills; they must be learned and practiced...  Speaking the truth skillfully is one of the most significant ways we acknowledge and respect the image of God in ourselves and others.  - Geri Scazzero, I Quit!

I love what Scazzero says about not being born with the skills to be graciously honest with each other.  So true!  She and her husband believe it so much that they have made an effort to teach their congregation how to speak the truth...

New Life Fellowship Church: How to Speak the Truth

Respectfully.  Be polite, not insulting, taking the other person's feelings into account.  

• Disrespectful: "That idea stinks..."  
• Respectful: "That is an interesting idea," or "I'm puzzled by..."

Honestly.  Say what you truly think or feel; don't lie or fudge the truth.  

• Dishonest: "I can't go to lunch.  I have other plans."  
• Honest: "I prefer not to go to lunch today because I want to have time alone."

Directly.  Don't beat around the bush or drop hints to avoid truth.  Don't make a statement when you are really asking a question.  

• Indirect: "There is a good movie playing at the theater, but it's raining out."  
• Direct: "Would you be willing to go to the movies with me tonight even though it is raining?"

Clearly.  Think before you speak in order to describe well what you want to say.  Include details.  

• Unclear: "I'd like you to cook dinner sometimes.  
• Clear: "I'd like you to cook dinner Tuesdays and Thursdays and be responsible for all the ingredients you need."

While it may seem like a lot of work, the payoff is priceless...

Once you end the pretense of superficiality and "niceness" that characterizes so much of Christian culture today, you will experience liberation, freedom, and a genuine body life that is truly a taste of the kingdom of heaven.  Your relationships grow more authentic.  With nothing to hide, your stress levels and anxieties decrease.  Your self-esteem grows more solid because your integrity isn't broken.  Peace with God, yourself, and others permeates your life.  - Geri Scazzero, I Quit!

120422 I Quit Fearing What Others Think

My need to be what other people wanted and expected me to be was far too great to actually allow me to stand up for myself.  While I had been a committed Christian for many years, my primary identity was defined not by God's love for me but by what others thought of me.

- Geri Scazzero, I Quit!

Do any of the following scenarios (adapted from Scazzero's book) sound familiar to you?

• Have you ever been out to dinner at a restaurant with friends, and when it came time to pay the bill, the group decided to simply divide the bill evenly, even though you only ordered saltines and water?  Did you decide not to say anything as you internally fumed that you just doled out $25 for some cheap crackers?
• Have you ever gotten your hair cut and think it stinks, but refused to say anything because you didn't want to hurt the stylist's feelings?
• Have you ever been hurt by a friend's comment but didn't say anything because you didn't want to seem overly sensitive?
• Your friends go out to see a movie together, but you're the only one who doesn't want to see what they choose.  You go anyway, feeling ripped off because you didn't want to pay $12 to see the Three Stooges (and you're starving 'cause all you ate for dinner was crackers!).
• Your family wants you to attend your aunt's retirement party even though you don't have the half day it would take to drive there, attend the party, and drive back.  You go anyway because you don't want to face your family's disapproval.
• You remain in an unhealthy dating relationship because you don't know how to end it.  You don't want people thinking you can't make a relationship work.
• You are visiting a neighbor and your kid is out of control.  You don't want to discipline, because you are afraid that a temper tantrum will follow, which will be embarrassing for you.
• You have an employee who is underperforming, dragging the rest of the team down.  Your hints aren't getting through.  You can't bear the thought of firing him, so you hire an additional staff member to cover for him.
• Your boss uses inappropriate language around you and others, even sexually suggestive remarks.  You say nothing because you don't want to be seen as a stuck up prude.
• You have changed your hairstyle in ten years because your spouse is against it.  You want to change, but don't.  Your resentment builds toward your spouse.
• You would like to speak to your spouse about your sex life but are afraid to say anything.  You are not sure how your spouse will react, so you just go with the flow.
• You are asked to volunteer for a ministry at church, and say yes because you don't want to disappoint the person asking, and you want people to think you are a dedicated Christian.

Geri recounts in her book how she maintained a lifestyle driven by a fear of what others might think of her - her husband, family, church, friends, etc.  After years of being drained by this approach, she was in need of a radical shift in her life.  Being a pastor's wife, much of her stress was directly or indirectly related to the church she and her husband founded.  She determined that, at that point in her journey, she could not move into health while attending their church.  She needed a break.  So she took one.  She went to another church for an extended period of time to work out what was happening in her life.  It was one of the most healthy, important decisions she ever made.

The problem, I would learn, was not ultimately the church, Pete, the congestion of New York City, or our four young children.  The hard truth was that the primary problem was me.  Monumental things inside of me needed to change.

- Geri Scazzero, I Quit!

Geri discovered that she was looking to others to tell her "I'm okay".  She realized, however, that this way of life did not jibe with her faith.

Geri Scazzero, I Quit:

Relying on the approval of others for our sense of self-worth is a direct contradiction of biblical truth.  Our "okayness" - that is, our lovability, our sense of being good enough - ultimately must come not from others but from two foundational realities: 

We are made in God's image.

We have a new identity in Christ.  

Geri kicked herself for allowing her center to shift away from God and onto others.  But she also learned that many people who are considered "greats" in our faith were as human as she was, and struggled similarly.

Peter, the fisherman-turned-disciple provides a great example.  He was without doubt one of the most outspoken of the disciples, and certainly looked at as a leader within the twelve.  He was the only one who asked to walk on water when Jesus scared the beeswax out of them one night on the Sea of Galilee.  He was the first to say out loud that Jesus was the Christ/Messiah - the anointed one of God who would usher in a new age.  He was the only one who put his life on the line the night Jesus was arrested, drawing a sword and cutting off a guard's ear (which was immediately healed by Jesus).  Peter was the only one who dared enter the Temple Court when Jesus was being illegally tried before the Jewish leaders.  He was one of the first to risk being caught after Jesus' death as he ran to the tomb to see if the rumors of Jesus' resurrection were true.  He was the bold preacher during the Feast of Pentecost, proclaiming the story of Jesus and inviting any and all to follow Him.  He was the guy who boldly preached even when it got him arrested.  He was the guy who healed a paralytic, raised a woman from the dead, and the first to baptize a Gentile convert.  He is claimed to have been the first in a long line of church leaders now known as the "Pope."

But Peter was also very human.  He told Jesus he was wrong about going back to Jerusalem.  He initially refused to let Jesus wash his feet. He said he would never renounce Christ, yet did so three times when the pressure was on.  He was restored by Jesus after the resurrection, but immediately whined about his apparent future which included martyrdom.  He challenged God on God's prerogative to abolish formerly held Jewish restrictions immediately following a dramatic vision.  Even after he had seen great things happen, he still caved under pressure when Jewish Christians were "Judaizing" Christianity - a direct contradiction to the very vision he had received years earlier. While all of these cannot fall under the domain of "fear of what others might think", a good number of them do.

For many Christians today, the love of God in Christ remains an intellectual belief we affirm rather than an experiential reality that transforms our thoughts and feelings about ourselves.  As a result, we continue to look for love from other people in destructive ways.

- Geri Scazzero, I Quit!

To live with the tension of earnestly following God and being pulled to follow our lesser inclinations is the human predicament.  Get used to it - you'll never totally champion this reality - Jesus himself struggled with it to the end.

But this is not to suggest that we give up our effort to follow God.  There are good reasons to quit being afraid of what others think.

Four Reasons to Stop Living for the Approval of Others (from Scazzero's I Quit!):

1. You Violate your Own Integrity.  As a Jesus follower, honoring God's thoughts and ways are what we confess to believe.  When we give in to people pressure, we violate our core belief.  But what are we left with if we lack integrity?
2. What or Whom You Love Is at Stake.  Geri knew she had to make a change or it may have led to her own breakdown, or her marriage's breakdown, and could eventually impact her relationship with her kids.  Making changes can be really hard.  Losing the people you value most is harder.
3. The Pain of Your Present situation is So Great You Have to Make a Change. My grandfather was a pastor.  Early in his career, he was pushing himself so hard that he nearly had an emotional breakdown.  His doctor forced him to take an extended amount of time off, and to rethink his approach to ministry.  He very likely was trying to live up to (imagined) expectations of others, and it nearly ruined his life.  Geri was definitely at that point.  If you are at that point, you know you have to make a change lest a much more painful change ensue.
4. The Fear That Things Will Stay the same is Greater Than the Fear That Things Will Change.  Making a significant change to insure that you don't end up with the same struggle ten years from now is incredibly challenging, but may be necessary.  Maybe you need to leave your job.  Maybe you need to end your going-nowhere relationship.  Maybe you need to stop your partying lifestyle.  Maybe you need to give up a hobby that is taking its toll on your life.

While we can make commitments on occasion that will help us move in the right direction, more than a momentary, emotional "yes" is needed to see a lasting shift away from this fear.  Scazzero offers two daily practices that help us evaluate and implement a different mode of being that is more congruent with walking with Jesus:

Reflect on the Movements of Your Heart.   At the end of your day, spend some time reflecting on your behavior and feelings you experienced.  Were there times when you were motivated more out of fear of what others might think that your identity in Christ?  Write the experiences down, and process the motive behind the action you want to avoid.

Reflect on the Love of God.  Begin each day recalling your First Relationship - God.  Remember who you are as God's child.  Remember the love God has for you.  Live out of that renewed sense of self.

120415 I Quit! Series Introduction

Nobody should ever have to watch me dance.  I guess it's okay to tell you now: if the US military needed information from a suspected terrorist, and nothing else worked, they were prepared to fly me in to perform my best Michael Jackson.  Actually, even my waltz would suffice...

Because I could sing pretty good and act okay, I got leading roles in plays and musicals while in high school.  The director quickly learned that if I was in a big dance routine, the best she could do was stick me in the middle, singing, and have people dance around me, otherwise the show would close after just one night.

In an effort to prove she could transform anybody into a dancer, our choreographer pulled me into a talent show number with a bunch of actual dancers.  I was absolutely horrible!  People literally wondered why I was allowed to dance with such mockery, ruining the performance.  But I actually tried!  I should have quit after the first rehearsal.  I didn't quit, because you're not supposed to quit.  If you commit to something, you should stick with it, right?

Most of the time, we deal with the obstacles by persevering.  Sometimes we get discouraged and turn to inspirational writing, like stuff from Vince Lombardi: "Quitters never win and winners never quit."  Bad advice.  Winners quit all the time.  They just quit the right stuff at the right time.  Seth Godin, The Dip

Where was Seth Godin when I was a senior in high school?  In his little gem of a book, The Dip, Godin provides numerous examples of people who appropriately quit, and others who stuck it out.  In short, Godin recommends that every person

Quit the wrong stuff.

Stick with the right stuff.

Have the guts to do one or the other.

- Seth Godin, The Dip

I should have used that dance rehearsal time focusing on my singing, perhaps, or other studies.  Dancing was the "wrong stuff" for me.  It only wasted my time and hurt the people in the act.  Godin notes that quitting in an of itself is not the point, however.

Strategic quitting is the secret of successful organizations.  Reactive quitting and serial quitting are the bane of those that strive (and fail) to get what they want.  And most people do just that.  They quit when it's painful and stick when they can't be bothered to quit. - Seth Godin, The Dip

Strategic quitting is what Geri Scazzero began to do when she couldn't live another day in the rut that trapped her.  She wrote a book about her successful and strategic quitting that transformed her life from strained and stressed to a life of passion and thoughtful pace.  According to Scazzero, our strategy comes from Christ, who lived and modeled what it means to be immersed in and informed by the Kingdom of God.

This is a book about following Jesus and summoning the courage to quit anything that does not belong to his kingdom or fall under his rule.  - Geri Scazzero, I Quit!

In the Bible's book of Ephesians, the writer talks about people who have chosen to ignore the Way of God seen in Christ.  They live foolishly, sticking with stuff they should be quitting.  The writer implores his readers to cast off their old self and put on their new self - the one breathed into life by God, so that they may experience all the joy God has for them.  God has renewal in mind for us.  But we have to make room for the new by dying to - quitting - the old.

Quitting is about dying to the things that are not of God.  Make no mistake, it is one of the hardest things we do for Christ.  But the good news is that quitting itself isn't just an end; it is also a beginning.  Biblical quitting is God's path for new things to come forth in our lives, for resurrection.  And yet, the path that leads to resurrection is never easy. - Geri Scazzero, I Quit!

As remembered in the Bible's book of Mark (8:35), Jesus was pretty clear about this reality of letting go of some things and embracing others:

Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?

Speaking from his own experience and those he witnessed, in the Bible's book of Galatians (5:22-23), Paul shares the following insight:

But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people.  We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

Sometimes we try to skip the part where we let God take the lead in our lives.  Our pride and arrogance tell us we can make it happen all by ourselves.  Geri Scazzero tried this, too.

I used to try to produce, through my own efforts, the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  But I found out that when we do life God's way, fruit simply appears in the orchard. - Geri Scazzero, I Quit!

This series is going to be about quitting.  Quitting stupid stuff we all struggle with in order that we may embrace what God has for us.

I have been the pastor of this church for longer than any other before me.  One of the benefits of being around so long is that I have known many of the people in my congregation for over a decade.  CrossWalk really is a community of amazing people.  But we're human - every last one of us.  We all struggle to shed our old clothes - our old selves - and put on our new clothes - our new selves - that we have been provided.  Minor changes are pretty easy to pull off, and we all make shifts in our lives when we embrace Christ.  Genuine transformation, however, is incredibly challenging.  If we are going to really see this thing through, we're going to really need each other's love and support.  

This series is about quitting behaviors that are deeply rooted within us.  Some of the areas are uncomfortable for us to talk about, because they require vulnerability, and to admit that we struggle with some of these issues may feel like we're weak.  Geri Scazzero showed great courage, however, in admitting her weakness in overcoming many of these issues.  Eventually it led to her overcoming them.  

If you feel this hits too close to home and don't want to tell your supportive community that you struggle with some of this stuff, just say you know somebody who struggles with this stuff and talk about them.  That always fools them.

It is possible that this series will be the catalyst for many to take a major step forward in their life with Christ.  That's not up to me, or God, it's up to you.  The potential "God experiences" before you are largely unknown, perhaps, but are profoundly better than what we have experienced thus far in our journey.  Will we...

Quit the wrong stuff?

Stick with the right stuff?

Have the guts to do one or the other?

120408 Easter Matters (?/!)

The Easter Debate

The Story of Easter.  The earliest written account of what happened at Easter comes from a man named Paul, who was an "Ivy League" educated Jewish scholar who spent the early part of his career seeking to destroy the reputation of the long-gone Jesus and wipe out his followers.  Literally.  But that changed when he had his own Easter experience, as he wrote in his letter found in the Bible that we call 1 Corinthians:

"Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters,^[a] of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. ² It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.

³ I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. ⁴ He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.⁵ He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. ⁶  After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. ⁷ Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.⁸ Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. ⁹ For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. (1 Corinthians 15:1-9, NLT)

The earliest disciples were very clear about a couple of Easter-related details.  First, they were completely unashamed to proclaim that Jesus really died and was buried - a very big deal if you're trying to proclaim the executed Jesus as a victorious, long-awaited Messiah.  Second, the disciples were adamant that they experienced Jesus alive again.  Every reputable scholar agrees that Jesus lived - he was an historical person.  They also agree that he died.  And they also agree that his disciples believed he lived again.  But it's on this final point of agreement that there is still great debate, even after 2,000 years.

The debate revolves largely around the emptiness of the tomb - where did Jesus' body go? - and the state of his resurrected body. For an excellent, academic resource on this topic and more check out The Meaning of Jesus by NT Wright and Marcus Borg .  NT Wright has written more than anybody on this topic in recent years - a 700 page academic tome investigating issues revolving around the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.  Marcus Borg takes a different approach to the topic, carefully assessing how the mindset of first century writers impacts what, when and why they wrote their work.  Below are some lift outs that I found particularly interesting...

Resuscitation v. Resurrection.  Wright points out that today, when we think of resurrection, we often simply think of life after death, like they are the same thing.  Call it reincarnation, or spirits, or ghosts - all life after death stuff.  But is that how the ancient world thought of it?  Nope.  One distinction that is helpful to note: when the writers of the New Testament chose their wording, they were careful.  None of them used the word for resuscitation for what we are talking about.  They aren't talking about a person who dies, and their body is brought back to life, as in present day cases of using the paddles to restart someone's stopped heart.  The most popular form of Judaism, embraced by the vast majority of Jews though rejected by the Sadducean Jews who controlled the Temple, all believed in resurrection.  They believed that a day would come when God would raise at least the righteous - and perhaps everyone - to new life.  In that time, God would give new bodies to those who had passed on, and God's very spirit would animate them.  The idea of resurrection was not new.  What was new was that it reportedly happened for just one person - Jesus.

Apparitions and Appearances.  Just like today, some people saw the spirit or ghost of someone they recently lost.  To see an apparition, however, was to conclude that the person was dead.  Still dead.  There is a story in the book of Acts where the Apostle Peter was imprisoned, and miraculously escaped.  He went to a home where he knew other disciples were staying, and when he knocked on the door and announced who he was, whoever went to answer the door didn't open it.  She left him standing outside, and ran back to tell the others that Peter's spirit (or angel or ghost) was outside.  She assumed he had been killed in prison, and that what was outside was an apparition.  What we read about in the New Testament is a bit different.  We read of appearances of Jesus that are not simply ghosts, but include a physical body that - while having very unusual qualities - can be touched, eats, catches and cooks fish, speaks, etc.  Ghosts don't do that.  Simple visions don't do that.  Furthermore, the ones who experienced such appearances did not then claim that Jesus was really, really dead, but that he was really, really alive.  

Seed v. Plant.  What is the resurrection body like, then?  The resurrected Jesus seemed to have flesh, but it also seemed like some natural laws did not apply to him.  He could enter into locked rooms without opening any doors - simply appearing.  He was also not recognized by his own disciples - his appearance was much different than before.  Why the difference?  Paul speaks a little bit into this question:

 ³⁵ But someone may ask, “How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?” ³⁶  What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t grow into a plant unless it dies first. ³⁷  And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting. ³⁸ Then God gives it the new body he wants it to have. A different plant grows from each kind of seed. ³⁹ Similarly there are different kinds of flesh—one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.

⁴⁰ There are also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies. ⁴¹ The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory.

⁴² It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. ⁴³ Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. ⁴⁴  They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.  (I Corinthians 15:35-44, NLT)

NT Wright speaks of this as a new mode of physicality.  He maintains that we are getting a glimpse of what our future resurrection bodies may be like - very different from our own, but related.  Borg thinks the appearances are more like visions of some sort, that there is no need for there to be a physical body in order for the resurrection to carry its significance.  What both Borg and Wright agree on, however, is that what the disciples and Paul experienced as disciples - the resurrected Christ - impacted them profoundly, moving them to proclaim the story and invitation to follow Christ at the risk (and eventual cost) of their own lives.

But the real question for us today is, does Easter still matter?

The Easter Differential.  There are a number of helpful ways to think about Easter in answer to this question.  Here are just a few.

• Rejection and Vindication.  When we look at what happened on the cross, we first see a very good man (to say the least) being executed unjustly.  But after three days, he is experienced as alive and well.  While he may have been rejected by the powers that ruled his day, he was vindicated by God in the resurrection.  Sometimes we feel like we have been victimized by others.  Sometimes we are treated with indifference and neglect, and at other times we may experience emotional or even physical abuse.  It is easy at those times to feel bad about ourselves.  Sometimes we even begin to believe the awful things that are being said of us by the ones who are hurting us.  But Easter reminds us that God does not see us as worthy of abuse.  God's desire is to restore us right now, in spite of our struggle, to become more and more like the "us" we were meant to become.  Of course, there will come a day when we will wake up to a new experience of life - resurrected life - which gives us hope when we feel hopeless.

• Defeat of Powers.  God is a redeemer.  Israel was in bondage in Egypt, slaving away their lives, hopeless.  Then God came and redeemed them.  Similarly, when Jesus was on the cross, it seemed like there was no hope for him.  But God came and redeemed Jesus in the resurrection.  In the same way, we sometimes feel powerless in our lives, like we need help to overcome any number of struggles: greed, self-absorption, addiction to food, alcohol, substances, anger problems, the list goes on and on.  These struggles give us a little taste of death whenever we encounter them.  But God is more powerful than the things that seem to destroy us.  Easter reminds us to turn to God in our weakness, and allow him to work in our lives to resurrect us from the life we're in to one that is much more whole.

• Revelation of the Way.  This may seem sort of obvious, but Jesus had to die before he could be resurrected.  One comes before the other.  This is true in our spiritual life as well.  As we become aware of them, we are called to let die the thoughts, attitudes and behaviors we have embraced in favor of the Way of Christ.  Paul uses a clothing metaphor - drop the old rags behind and put on your new clothing.  Sometimes we think we can just add God into our life right alongside all the junk that is in direct contrast to God, and we wonder why things aren't going well.  It may be because we haven't let some things die that are keeping the new life at bay.

• Revelation of the Love of God.  Whenever we wonder whether or not God loves us, we only need remember Easter.  Jesus willingly died, unjustly, and when he was raised to new life, his motive did not change.  He was all love and grace.  His mission was to embody the love of God all the way.  Especially when we think our behavior has caused God to walk away from us, we need to remember that Jesus forgave those who were responsible for his crucifixion.  In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul noted that while we were still sinning, Christ died for our sins.  Easter means God is love and loves us.

• Sacrifice for Sin.  I'll never forget seeing him after service.  I had just talked about the love of God, that God's forgiveness is complete, forever.  He just began to weep.  I am not certain what sins he was trying to shake.  Was it memories of being in war and taking the lives of others?  Was it regretting his love of alcohol for many seasons of his life to the neglect of his children?  Was it his anger problems?  Hard to know.  But the story of Easter means we are forgiven.  Sins past, present and future are no match for the cross - a symbol to which we can cling whenever we feel the need to appease God with some token offer to buy God's grace.  Stop thinking of God and God's grace this way.  See grace as a constant.  It is not a license to keep being an idiot, of course, but can be an unshakable foundation to build your life on.

• New Creation.  From a Jewish perspective, what is seen in the resurrection is a new beginning.  God is a creator, and is still creating.  The Jewish hope for the world was that God would restore the earth and all who dwell in it to its Eden-like state, where the ways of God would be normative.  Peace on earth would be a reality.  Genocide would be a distant memory.  Hatred wouldn't exist.  No more starvation.  No more politics.  They expected a mass resurrection to occur when God was going to put this in motion (which is probably why Matthew - targeted toward Jews - included an account of many people coming back to life).  But Jesus was the one who walked around in the new creation body, showing himself to many people.  It was the start of something new.  Following Jesus in every way sows seeds that will grow into that new creation.  Following Jesus serves to bring about the new creation we all long for, one step at a time.  Easter is an invitation to a new, grand vocation to be part of the movement that serves to redeem and restore the world and her inhabitants to its potential.  Easter matters because it marks the beginning of the new dawn of God's new creation in our midst.

• Emmaus Happens.  Beyond the theological, cerebral stuff above, Easter didn't just happen.  Easter happens.  Two disciples were on their way to a village called Emmaus when a stranger joined them.  It was Jesus.  If NT Wright is right, then Jesus was in his new mode of physicality, explaining why he went unrecognized.  Jesus doesn't disclose his identity, but rather unpacks the scriptures for them so that they have some understanding of why the death and resurrection happened.  When they arrived in Emmaus, the still-clueless disciples invited Jesus to stay.  When they sat to break bread together, something shifted for them, and they recognized Jesus for who he was.  This happens to a lot of people still today, and can happen for you as well.  God shows up in unexpected times, in unexpected circumstances, and surprises us with his presence.  It happens a lot for me and many people I know.  I know the resurrection is real because I experience the living Christ breathing into my life.  Christ is alive to me - not dead - and therefore I have the confidence and strength I need to carry on.

How about you?  What is the significance of Easter for you?  What is your understanding of resurrection?  What are you doing with Easter?  Does Easter matter to you?