Living a Resurrection Life!

I snuggled beneath the blanket in my favorite chair. The crisp smell of our freshly cut Christmas tree permeated the air. It was Sunday morning, less than three weeks before Christmas, and the only creatures stirring were Bishop and I. Heavenly.

When Scott and I were married, naturally we worked to combine the best of our families' traditions, and begin some of our own. One discussion focused on the things we were seeking in a church. Some things were important to both of us; others, more important to one than the other. Scott, for instance, has an issue with churches that look like auditoriums: "A church should look like a church." I would scoff, "A church is the people inside the building, not the building. Aesthetics come and go." We found a church that had most of the things we required and many elements we preferred. We celebrated many Christmases right there next to our friends and family, in that "churchy-looking" church; with the windows decked in holiday décor, the spacious halls and beautiful exterior; and the "un-churchy" smell of it that always pleased me. When we sadly left, the search began again, and so did the discussions. I believe God honored our desire to find a church that honored Him with their service as well as their speech; he gave us Resurrection Life Church -- an active church in the center of our community, and the "churchiest-looking" (Scott) most "un-religious" (Judi) church we have ever attended! But with that came old stained glass windows that block the view to the outdoors, crowded and multi-purposed halls, an exterior that reveals years of life on the corner of a busy street, and that "churchy" smell.

So, as I sat in my chair on Sunday morning, I began to notice the ache in my heart. I missed the holiday-dressed windows with the view of the changing seasons. I missed the spacious halls and the majestic stone façade. I missed the clean smells and the bright beams of sunlight streaming through open spaces. I missed a building.

God has been showing me over and over, month after month, that the folks at Resurrection Life are my family. Beyond the skin tones, the tax brackets, the backgrounds, and the collars that would separate us in this world, these beautiful folks are my family. I had actually felt a small degree of emptiness upon leaving church the Sunday before Thanksgiving: I was not going to be with any of them on the year's most important day for family. But here I was, less than two weeks later, only hours from spending time with them, and I was aching for a pile of stones and mortar. Sad the things we will allow to distract us.

Later that morning, as I sat amidst the noise and bustle that is Resurrection Life, I heard the voices of those I love. Singing praises to our Father. Shouting agreement in the Word. Corporately lifting voices in prayer for the needs of others. Speaking God's blessings to one another as we hugged in greeting. Laughing aloud as we teased and joked the way brothers and sisters do. The distractions of early morning gone, I celebrated with my family in our home. Not a home of stillness and solitude. Not a home of pristine décor and empty spaces. But a home full of love and family and busy-ness and service and diversity. A home just perfect for a resurrection kind of life!