Rushing the Resurrection

As I enter this time of prayer, I repeat the words of Psalm 40:17, slowly, several times, making them my prayer to God:

‘But as for me, I am poor and needy;

may the Lord think of me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

you are my God, do not delay.’

Pause and repeat

Pause to read the passage Luke 23:55–56

In his book, Pete describes a time he attended a funeral, where he was left with the impression that everyone seemed a bit too keen to solve the unfathomable tragedy of their friend’s death. Pete writes, ‘I drove away later thinking how very fragile our faith must be if we can’t just remain sad, scared, confused, and doubting for a while. In our fear of unknowing, we leapfrog Holy Saturday and rush the resurrection. We race, disconcerted, to make meaning and find beauty where there simply is none. Yet’*

Is it possible that I am trying too hard to make sense of things, rushing to fix things, instead of just living with mess for a while? Do I ever feel pressured to tidy up my feelings, my questions, or even my theology for other people?

Pause and reflect

I take time now to ask the Lord to help me be more okay with not being okay, requesting courage to be vulnerable and grace to live with more mess … for now.

Pause and pray

As I bring this time with God to a close, I pray the serenity prayer of Reinhold Niebuhr:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time,

Enjoying one moment at a time,

Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,

Taking, as Jesus did,

This sinful world as it is,

Not as I would have it,

Trusting that You will make all things right,

If I surrender to Your will,

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

*Pete Greig, God on Mute, David C Cook, (Colorado Springs, 2020), p217