"Life!"

     That's the word I see in the Scripture readings for this Sunday, and that we will see at our outdoor service, with all of the beautiful campus around us here at Resurrection (six acres of green grass, beautiful trees, bushes, and flowers...and the people!  at the service and in our community).
     I'm also thinking of the life that each of us has.  I am learning more than ever to appreciate each year, day, and breath of life!  I'm writing this on the 40th Anniversary of marriage to my beautiful wife, Sandra.  And I'm struggling to believe that it has been 40 years already!!
    I've also recently, more than ever, come to appreciate life, as I've had at least two serious events of SVT (a racing heart of over 200 bpm).  Going to the ER and receiving the drug that "resets" my heart back to a normal bpm....it all impresses me with how I, and really each one of us, are a heartbeat away from ending life as we know it!
     So when this Sunday's Psalm reading asks, "Who among you takes pleasure in life and desires long life to enjoy prosperity?"  I answer, "Yes!"
     And when Jesus tells us in John 6 that he is the "bread of life", it impresses on me the wonderful gift of God's grace and eternal life!  Which means that our physical life on this earth is not all that is life.  God wants us to have an eternal life with him!
     We've been reading through the Gospel of John for the past four weeks (including this upcoming Sunday); each of them looking at Jesus as the Bread of Life.  This Sunday, more than ever, impresses on us the "flesh" of Jesus, and how we are to "eat" Him.  In John 6:51, Jesus says, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven.  Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh".
     Many theologians will agree that the greatest miracle and mystery is the incarnation of Jesus Christ:  the moment when He was conceived in the womb of Mary.  Ponder this for a moment (or for all of life):  the Son of God, who created the universe, entered His creation and became a part of it by becoming a man.  He became our brother!  And as a human, and as God, Jesus was able to live, suffer, die, and rise again for our eternal salvation!  Meaning that you and I are given eternal life!
     Yes, life is awesome!  And God has given it all to us!  Thank you Lord for all of life!!

God Bless,

Pastor Steve