It is Finished

 

Hey Y'all!!

 

Well I started a lovely draft for you all on Friday but I guess I forgot to save it. This Easter weekend and this Lenten season as a whole was marvelous. A lot of reflecting, soul searching, and renewing and strengthening my connection with Christ (and with my sisters in Christ!). I am loving my Good Friday tradition of going to church at St. Luke Baptist Church in Paterson, NJ. I even made Hot Cross Buns for breakfast.

When I tell you I heard some good preaching on Good Friday--I don't even know where to begin to tell you how it blessed my spirit. My baby boo was even well behaved at church for the whole 2-3 hours. Major win. The service is titled "Seven Words One Friday" each year. Seven preachers each preach a short sermon centered around Christ's seven last words on the cross. Some of the preachers repeat but for the most part each year they are new and if they repeat, they preach on something different. I have been combing through my notes to find one thing that really stood out to me but there was so much. I will have to break it up.

If I had to pick my favorite this year though, it was the sermon on "It is finished." (John 19:30b) preached by Reverend Maurice Porter, Pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Hartford, CT. As I reflect on it now, this scripture was also my favorite last year too. Reverend Porter talked about the fact that when something is finished, it is done--not almost or part of the way but all the way done. However, just because something is finished doesn't mean that the rewards stop as evidenced by the resurrection of Christ. He reminded us that we have to make sure that we are able to separate ourselves from whatever our "it" is. Jobs, relationships, rejections, or anything else that may change in our lives. Whenever "it" is finished, we are not. Because something is done, doesn't make us any more or any less. Jesus was still God's son as he died on the cross but he had to endure to finish his assignment (more on this one later). We are no different.

 

Rejection, setbacks, and just change period can really make us feel low and take us to dark places spiritually and emotionally but you can't start something new without finishing the old. What "it" have you finished or are about to finish? I know that no matter what "it" is, the Lord will be with you.

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter/Resurrection weekend. I even managed a mini-Easter hunt in my yard for Ebony and Ivory.