Livin the Dream

Well, I've survived another Holy Week of church activity. If you serve in ministry then you know what I am talking about. The post Easter exhaustion, the part where, to paraphrase my friend Robin, "you long for three days in a grave." The physical and emotional exhaustion can be overwhelming to say the least.

One spends weeks planning and executing a number of services or observances for the week of Christ's Passion. (If you've ever been part of wedding planning you know what I mean.) Many things are taken into consideration, the group of people present determines many times the way in which the observance is approached. Learning styles, life outlook etc., etc. Again, I say exhausting. Finally the finished product is presented and we observe, grieve, experience, and celebrate in a whirlwind of emotions. By Easter Sunday afternoon most in church service are ready for, "The Big Nap." Easter Monday finally dawns, a new week begins, and we start all over again. The question is, "What is it we start?" And for that matter, do we start something or continue what we have already been doing?

I take consolation in knowing that Jesus' disciples faced the same dilemma.
"What do we do now?"
They had experienced three years of amazing events; encountered feelings and concepts they never dreamed of before they met Jesus. They rode the roller coaster of Holy Week with its devastation and elation. They mourned the death of their Beloved, along with their hopes and dreams only to be smacked in the head with Resurrection. I don't know how they didn't implode. So, after all of this upheaval what do we find the disciples doing? Fishing. That's right, fishing. When one is not sure what the next step will be the natural human response is to go back to the thing you know. For many of the disciples that was fishing.

John 21 tells us that Peter, James, John, Thomas, Nathanael and two other disciples were together when Peter declared his intention to go fishing. Everyone present agreed and the seven spent the night on a boat. As the story goes, they caught nothing on their own until morning when Jesus shows up and tells them where to cast. Just like the beginning of their time together the nets are full but this time, Jesus feeds them with their catch. This was the third appearance of Jesus, to His disciples, since His resurrection.

As Jesus enters conversation with Peter after breakfast the reader sees Him laying out the plan for Peter. That plan was to live the resurrection life and to offer it to Jesus' sheep. Peter now had his next step, his road map and therefore didn't need to go back to what he knew before. Peter could now, "live the dream."

Now that Holy Week has ended with its pageants, prayers and pomp, one needs to be clear on what to do next. Many times folks float through Easter as if it is a one day affair with no eternal implications. Whisking out of an inspiring worship service clad in Easter finery having been sated with enough "holy" to last the week maybe two, only to find that once the "pink cloud" feelings dissipate one too is faced with the idea to, "go fishing."

Hymn number 304 in The United Methodist Hymnal is entitled "Easter People, Raise Your Voices." tells us that for "Easter People," every day is Easter. As we live out our lives this Eastertide and every Easter day, my prayer is that we do not fall into the trap of the next thing or the last thing. May we live the dream, live the resurrection life this day and all days.