A New Creation

Happy Easter to all those who minister to youth and young adults where ever you are around the world. This is the greatest seasons in our Church that continues long after the supermarkets have stopped selling Easter Eggs.

The Easter message has got me think about our ministries, are they a new creation because of Easter? How can we use the joy of Easter to empower us in our ministry?

There are two important points about Easter:
New Creation: When Jesus rose he was a new creation. Jesus was not a patched up version of his old self, he was a new creation. The Church reminds of this through the baptism of catechumenates at the Easter vigil, they are a new creation after their baptism. We can forget this because everything seems the same on the outside.
Old Body: When Jesus rose from the dead he was in his old body. Jesus didn’t get a new body; his resurrected body had all the scars from his crucifixion. Easter would have a whole different meaning if Jesus left his old body in the tomb to take a new body after his resurrection.

Jesus resurrected his old body into a new creation and Jesus does the same for us at Easter. As a ministry coordinator, Intern or volunteer, Easter is the time for you to become a new creation in the circumstances of your old life. You may not have changed your ministry position, but you can have a new attitude to your ministry during this Easter season. Here are three attitudes to take on:

1. Leave it at the Cross – if there are things that have been a burden to you in your ministry, leave them at the foot of the cross. The cross is a symbol of all that Jesus did for us at Easter. Perhaps you need to write down your burdens and worries, place them in an envelope and leave them at the foot of the cross. Jesus died so that we can be free; we are missing the point if we don’t live into that freedom.
2. Become a new creation – The Easter season is the beginning of the Church’s year so take on a new years resolution. As a new creation in Christ what ways can you make a positive change in your ministry? Are there some new habits that you can develop to become a better minister? This week I started telling myself to see the best in people, it is amazing the difference it makes to see the best in others rather than how they could improve.
3. Share the Joy – have a sense of urgency about sharing the Good News. If you won a million dollars in the Lotto, you would rejoice and spend it quickly because it is a good thing. How much more important then is it to share this Good News with as many people as quickly as you can? Share the joy with those in your sphere of influence and you never know what effect your Joy can have.

Again Happy Easter to all of you and thanks for reading this blog. Perhaps you can pass this on to others and share the Good News through this blog.
Please leave a comment about what Easter meant to you in 2010