A Resurrection Recount
“I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.” – Psalm 118:17, NRSV
So how was yesterday? Full of light, Easter lilies, and alleluias? I hope so!
And how is today? Still feel resurrected? As you go back to work or get your kids ready for school, go to the doctor’s or wait for a diagnosis, can you still hear echoes of “Alleluia”? If you’re facing the end of a relationship or walking through the valley of shadows, can you still trust the promise of new life?
Easter Sunday can be glorious. Easter Monday can be hard. Psalm 118 helps. Titled a “Song of Victory,” the psalm begins, “Give thanks to the Lord for God is good and God’s steadfast love endures forever!” Throughout its verses we are reminded: “I shall not die, but I shall live.” A good proclamation for Easter Monday.
As importantly, the psalmist tells us how to keep trusting God’s promise: “I will recount the deeds of the Lord.” The psalmist keeps faith in God’s new life and steadfast love by re-counting the ways God offered life and love in the past and continues to do so.
Fasting and prayer are Lent’s spiritual disciplines. How about a Resurrection Recount for Eastertide? Over the 50 days ahead, can we, like the psalmist, take time to recount the “deeds of the Lord” in our lives and in this world? Perhaps then we can continue to trust Easter’s promise—even on Easter Monday.
Prayer
The lilies may wilt and the alleluias may fade, but your steadfast love endures forever, O Lord. Help us to remember. Amen.
About the AuthorTalitha Arnold is Senior Minister of the United Church of Santa Fe (UCC), Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is the author of Mark Part 1 and Mark Part 2 of the Listen Up! Bible Study series and Worship for Vital Congregations.