Further reflections on Easter at Occidental Square

The Bible tells us that God's people are a body.

Each part of the body is important for it to work together for health. I saw the body work together for health and wholeness so much on Sunday at Occidental Square that it fills me with hope.

I think that I mentioned that we couldn't use a microphone during our celebration which definitely caused a shift in thinking through our Easter Celebration. The traditional celebration involves a worship service that is filled with many bells and whistle, the best music, preaching, clothes, decorations, food!

But, here we were standing in pouring rain in our most causual clothes without decoration or fanfare. But, what we brought was what the Lord had directed us to bring to worship and celebrate.

For some that meant a guitar and singing.
For others, it was passing out flowers.
For others, it was a willingness to pray for healing.
For another, it meant ordering Bibles and passing them out.
For others, it meant standing behind the food line and passing out hot lunches.
For others, it was to sit and look their new friends in the eye and listen intently to the stories be shared.

For myself, it was a willingness to step aside as the main voice and encourage others to bring their voices.

So, at the end when we were huddled underneath several dripping canopies, the stories came from God's people. They didn't come from a seminary education with perfect Greek. It meant that one 20 something stepped up and took a major role in calling us to worship through presence. He called us to trust God and to take risks.

I know that this is leadership that pleases God.

I know that he gave each one of us something special to share. When a few overfunction, it causes the rest to underfunction. I know Sunday there were very few that underfunction because from the oldest to the youngest, we all gave from the reality that the "kingdom of God is within us."