In the opening of the tomb of Lazarus, in the unwrapping of his funeral clothes, the community had to face their unknowing — and perhaps disbelief — and trust that the resurrection Jesus had facilitated was real. The range of emotions was vast. As the butterfly’s cozy environment cracks further open still, it is the effort of the process of emerging that makes change possible — waking up, rolling away the stone, unwrapping what will be.
Unwrap: Waking Up
May 7, 2023
More from
Emerge
Let Go: Leaving Behind What We Don't Need
May 21, 2023
Just as butterflies leave behind their chrysalises, baby birds break out of their shells, and snakes shed their skin, we too discard old parts of ourselves in order to keep growing. We go through changes in work, in family structures, in friendships, in our own beliefs and values, all throughout our lives. When we give ourselves permission to say ‘yes’ to new experiences and ways of being, that often means letting go of old habits and patterns, a kind of decluttering the mind, body, and spirit. Today in worship, we will ponder what it means to release what is no longer necessary so that we might make room for positive changes.
Unfold: Claiming New Possibilities
May 14, 2023
Once out of the cocoon, the new butterfly has much to do to prepare for flight. Wings are not yet ready. Small and undernourished, they long for expansion — to move beyond this awkward in-between-ness. As we consider our own metamorphosis, we remember how Jesus renamed “Simon” as “Peter,” a description of “the rock” upon which the church would be built. Are we willing to accept that God’s possibilities may come in ways we never imagined, perhaps expanding our notion of who we are in this world?