Easter Sunday: the Weary, the Worn and the Weak Sitting Next to You

It’s quiet, the sun has not risen and neither has my family. It’s just me, the dog and the guinea pig, oh and Nicole C Mullins. Yep, It’s Easter Sunday Morning and you can tell in my house because My Redeemer Lives is turned up loud on repeat. 

I know, That I know, that I know, that I know, that I know

He lives

my redeemer lives

Because He lives I can face tomorrow

I can tell you right now that Matt isn’t even up yet, but he is irritated. While he agrees with every line my favorite Easter song, he cannot stand the song, at all. So, I play it more and louder. 

I mean, come on, how can you not belt this out this morning?

The very same God

That spins things in orbit

Runs to the weary, the worn and the weak

And the same gentle hands that hold me when I'm broken

They conquered death to bring me victory

Again, I don’t believe it’s the message that Matt dislikes as much as the vibrato. That or me turning into a Southern Baptist Choir singer over and over and well, over again. I just cannot help myself. This song. This day. 

As I was getting ready this morning, I was thinking what I wanted today to be, what I wanted to make sure I shared with you today. While we are all in our best clothes posing for family pictures which in my house will line my stairwell for years come, what do I want you to see, to learn today. Now, let me just say my goal for life is not to “teach you” something every day, I would go mad living in that pressure. But today an idea was laid on my heart. 

hold on I have to hit replay

And whoooo-ooo showed the moooon where to hide till eveninnnngggg. 

Ahem, an idea, on my heart…

While I would love and adore to say “take this song, embrace it and shout it from the roof tops, ‘MY REDEEMER LIVES!’” I don’t remember, even once, an altar call rush on Easter morning. (now, altar calls are from my upbringing and really aren’t something practiced in the Lutheran denomination) That’s why I think today you need to sit. Today, I want you to take in somethings. I want you to embrace some truths. 

The weary, the worn and the weak from the lyrics above includes the woman sitting on the end of your pew in her gorgeous purple dress with matching shoes and accessories. 

The weary, the worn and the weak includes the pastor that paces the stage in front of you. 

The weary, the worn and the weak is the family who appears to have it all together, who sit almost perfectly three rows back from you. 

As you sit in service this morning, I want you to know that we are all on the same playing field. We are all broken. We all sin. There is no “perfect” in God’s house this morning. The only perfect person of this world is the one we celebrate today, the once who conquered death and brought US ALL victory. 

When I was a child and attended church with Meme on Easter morning (she is the woman in complete purple - even her eyeshadow and lipstick were purple, God love her she loved that Easter assemble - man, I love her) I remember sitting (with all the seniors) and watching Pastor J. Don George and his family. To me that day, and for years to come, there was no weariness, they were not worn and they were not weak, they were absolutely perfect. Now, I cannot say if their goal was to make everyone around them believe in their perfections - I would pray not, but I have also not heard him confess his weakness to the thousands who attend his services each Sunday. (wow, I am not meaning that to be tacky sounding)

What I am trying to get across to you is I don’t think today, is the day to join a church (if you are not already a member) and don’t think today is the day to say the sinners prayer and request to be baptized. Take that pressure of yourself today. Today, I want you to take it all in, but don’t believe the lie that everyone around you isn’t weary, worn and weak just like you. Today is the day we strive to look perfect, but brokenness is lying just beneath the fabric on our Easter best.