Living Resurrection Love

Majorie is teaching Brandy to play the piano after service 

(1 Thessalonians 4:14-18)

4.12.26. Stetson Memorial UMC

< Every Day Easter >

Dear brothers, sisters, and my precious young friends, Christ is Risen!

How was your Easter last week? Here in Maine, we looked out our windows and saw the messy mix of sleet, slush, and snow. Meanwhile, our friends down in Florida were basking in the sun and enjoying blooming flowers.

But even though our Easters looked different on the outside, we shared one glorious thing in common: we all rejoiced that Christ is Risen! It did not matter what we had for dinner, what the weather was like, or where we were sitting. We shared resurrection joy with one another.

But I have been thinking: How many days should we celebrate Easter? Is it just one Sunday a year? Is it the fifty days leading up to Pentecost? My friends, I believe we should celebrate Easter every single Sunday—actually, every single day! Resurrection is not just a dusty story from a history book, and it is not just a mysterious secret hidden in the future. Resurrection is present in the present.

Think of it like a giant and beautiful puzzle of heaven. When we believe in the resurrection, God gives us one important piece of that puzzle to hold in our hands right now. We can glimpse the glory of heaven through this one piece.

For me, this Easter was very special. The risen Jesus took away my grief, my sorrow, and my fear. He helped me face tomorrow with a heart full of gratitude as I look back on twelve years of ministry here and my first year in Patten. He is risen in my heart! He is risen in our church! Therefore, one day is simply not enough to celebrate Him.

 

1. Living Resurrection Love Overcomes Suffering

To understand this better, we must look at the church in Thessalonica. In Acts 17, we see their faith was born in fire. Jealous opponents recruited a violent mob to incite a city-wide riot, raiding the home of Jason and dragging believers before officials on charges of treason.

The hostility was so intense that these agitators even traveled 50 miles to Berea to keep harassing Paul. Yet, despite this 'severe suffering,' the Thessalonians remained resilient. They weren't just survivors; they became a model for all churches by holding onto their joy. How did they do it? They had living resurrection love.

You see, resurrection and love can never be separated. God is love in His very nature. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit live in perfect love. Resurrection is the great victory of that love story. It is the fuel that keeps our fire burning. The Thessalonians lived this truth. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 1:6, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering.”

Our Stetson Memorial UMC is a true example of what it means to show living resurrection Love. We hear so many powerful testimonies from our members, and we can truly feel how much you love the Lord. Throughout our church’s history, there were times when you did not have a pastor, yet you overcame those hardships together through this same resurrection love.

Last Thursday, I arrived at our Bible study completely exhausted. However, as I sat and listened to your faithful stories, God amazingly restored my soul and my tired body! Most of us are surrounded by our own personal sufferings—whether it is a child’s health issue, ongoing family problems, the heavy demand of being a '25-hour-a-day' caregiver, or a broken relationship. Yet, despite it all, we are overcoming these trials through living resurrection love.

 

 

2. Living Resurrection Love Builds the Church

Resurrection love does not just help us survive; it helps us thrive and build. Paul worried about this young church like a gardener worries about a tiny seed in a storm. But when Timothy returned, he brought news that filled Paul’s heart with praise. In 1 Thessalonians 1:3, Paul highlights the three pillars that built that church: "your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." He rejoiced to see them turn from idols to serve the living and true God, calling them his "glory and joy" (1 Thess. 1:9–10, 2:19–20).

I saw a beautiful picture of this "labor of love" recently. After my three children had their dental checkups, we followed our tradition of visiting Mrs. Helen Woods. The children did not just sit politely; they ran into her house, looked at all her pictures, and asked a million questions. They were showing faith in action through simple, pure friendship.

Then we visited Roberta at the nursing home. My daughter Grace has built such a deep bond with her through our pen-pal and music ministry.

I am also so thankful that Sue Carr from Hodgdon, along with Denise and Penny from our own Stetson Memorial UMC, have joined this nursing home ministry. I confess I worried a little about the future of this beautiful work, but God faithfully gathered people with resurrection love to build His church! Praise the Lord!

Watching my beloved one love the people I love felt like a "love bomb" exploding in my heart. That is what a real church looks like. We are not just a building in a rural town; we are a family of "faith, hope, and love."

Serving 200 families through our food pantry, supporting Bone Builders, or hosting AA groups are your work produced by faith and labor prompted by the resurrection love. Together, we are building the Kingdom of God, one act of resurrection love at a time.

 

3. Living Resurrection Love Waits for the Great Day

The Thessalonians had a big question: What happens to our friends and family who die before Jesus returns? They were grieving deeply. Paul comforted them with the ultimate hope in 1 Thessalonians 4:14–18.

He told them that for those who believe, death is not the end of the relationship. “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”

He described a magnificent day when the Lord will descend with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. The dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive will be caught up in the clouds to meet Him in the air.

Last Friday, I experienced a special ceremony—I was sworn in as an American citizen. As I stood there, I thought of the Great Judge on the Last Day. God will welcome us as citizens of heaven. As we wait for that day, we must put on the breastplate of faith and love (1 Thess. 5:8). We belong to the Day. We are citizens of the Kingdom.

Imagine that day! No more aching knees. No more broken bodies. No more tears. No more pain. We will be with the Lord forever. Paul says, “Therefore, encourage one another with these words.” Living resurrection love helps us wait for the great day.

 

Photo by Kathy Case

< The Already and Not Yet >

St. Augustine once said that our hearts are restless until they find rest in God. Abraham Heschel taught that we practice eternal rest by keeping the Sabbath. Through the resurrection, God has already given us a preview of heaven. This is what theologians call the “already and not yet.” Heaven is already here because Jesus is alive in our hearts, but the full picture is not yet complete. We are living in the middle of the story, holding our puzzle piece tightly.

If you are suffering today, let this living resurrection love lift you up. If you are working to build this church, let this love strengthen you. This message is not only a story from two thousand years ago. It is a living power that touches us today.

I bless you to be the modern-day Thessalonians: who overcome suffering through your love for God, who build the church through your love for one another, and who long for the Resurrection with hearts that dearly love and miss those who have gone before us. We have living resurrection love, and He is with us always. He is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Amen.