A Note

From Pastor Mark

Love Outpoured: The Risen Christ Draws Near

Matthew 28

Our Lenten theme, “Love Outpoured” is certainly part of Matthew’s Easter story.

As the day begins, the world still feels heavy with grief. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to the tomb early in the morning. Their hearts are still weighed down by the events of Good Friday. Jesus, the one they loved and followed, has been crucified. His body has been sealed in a tomb. The story seems finished.

But God is not finished.

Matthew tells us that suddenly there is a great earthquake. An angel descends from heaven, rolls away the stone, and sits upon it. The guards tremble with fear. The angel speaks to the women: “Do not be afraid…He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.”

With those words, the impossible becomes reality. Death has been defeated. The grave has lost its power. The love of God—love outpoured on the cross—now bursts forth in resurrection life.

But notice something else in this story: God’s love is not distant. It is near.

The women do not encounter resurrection from a distance. They experience it up close. The angel speaks directly to them. The empty tomb stands before them. And then, as they run to tell the others, Matthew says something remarkable: “Suddenly Jesus met them.”

The risen Christ draws near.

This is one of the most beautiful dimensions of Easter. God’s love is not simply declared from heaven—it comes close. Jesus does not remain hidden or far away. He meets them on the road. He speaks to them. They take hold of his feet and worship him.

Love outpoured is proximate.

Throughout the resurrection story, Jesus keeps drawing close to people. He meets the women on the road. Later, he gathers his disciples on a mountain in Galilee. Matthew tells us that when they see him, they worship—but some doubt. Even in that moment of uncertainty, Jesus does not withdraw.

Instead, Jesus comes nearer.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” he says. And then he gives them a mission that will shape the future of the church:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

That promise reveals the heart of Easter. The risen Christ does not simply send his followers into the world; he remains close to them. His presence accompanies them (and us) wherever they (we) go.

Easter reminds us that God’s love is stronger than death, deeper than despair, and closer than we often imagine.

Because of Easter, the risen Christ still meets people on the road.

Because of Easter, we are never alone.

And because of Easter, love continues to be poured out—through Christ who draws near, and through us as we carry that love into the world.

Pastor Mark

Contact Pastor Mark at: pastormark@sotpmail.com

A Note

From Pastor Ryan

Resetting Your Algorithm

It is likely that, by the time you read this, Lent will be over and that the celebration of Christ’s resurrection will be in full swing!

I hope your Lenten journey was one of deep reflection and that you came out of it with a renewed sense of the intimate relationship you have with Jesus.

As you are, no doubt, well aware that we live a world driven by social media. Forty years ago, it took about 24 hours for news to break and spread into our lives. Now it takes only minutes. And there is certainly no shortage of opinions on everything. Scholars have been studying the effects of the rapid news cycle and the effects of social media and artificial intelligence (AI) on our psychological, social, and educational health, and the outlook is not good. However, that does mean it is too late for us to do something about it.

Social media and AI use complex algorithms to analyze what we’re interested in and how we think and use that information to continue to show us more of those things. The dangerous part is that this can lead us into spiral, a bubble that only includes a particular perspective. This has led us, as a collective society, to get lost in isolated bubbles without access to broader world views.

We witnessed this very acutely after Charlie Kirk was killed. Part of the world saw him as kind, open, and collaborative while part of the world saw him as a harsh, confrontational, and closed-minded. Much of this was due to the social media feeds people we exposed to. Charlie, like the rest of us, was a mixture of both, but social media didn’t always allow people to see all sides of him. After his death, I heard a story of two friends who got into an argument over him, but they took a moment to show each other they’re social media feeds. Each was completely surprised. Neither recognized the Charlie they were seeing because neither had been allowed to see both sides of him before. They need to reset their algorithm.

I have an uncle with whom I regularly engage in deep, respectful, albeit challenging discussions about politics. We have some differing beliefs, but it doesn’t stop us from engaging in very meaningful dialogue. We had one of these conversations about a month ago, and he said something I’ll never forget. Something I want to lift up to you as suggestion we might all take to heart.

As we were saying goodbye, he said to me, “My algorithm has gotten all screwed up. I’m only seeing one side of everything. Whenever you find well thought-out posts, can you send them to me? I need to adjust my algorithm. I’ll do the same for you.”

It would be great if more people would take that approach.

We do it very naturally in other areas of our lives without even thinking about it. For those of you who listen to music streaming services, you know what I’m talking about. You may be listening to a playlist or series of random songs and get tired of the artist or genre. What do you do? You pick a new song or genre to change it up, and the streaming service goes down a new path. Before music streaming services it was as easy as putting on a new record or inserting a new cassette or CD.

This past Lent, you likely attempted (and hopefully succeeded) at a reset of one of your life algorithms. Maybe you gave up a type of junk food to help you get healthier. Perhaps you added journaling to improve your mental health. Or maybe you began a devotional series to improve your spiritual health. These are all ways of resetting our algorithm.

Portico, the benefits arm of the ELCA, uses a Wholeness Wheel to illustrate the areas of our wellbeing. The areas are intellectual, social, emotional, physical, financial, and vocational, and at the center of it all is spiritual wellbeing. One, several, or all of those areas may need a reset at any given point in our lives. Every day is opportunity for a reset.

How is your algorithm? Are you being exposed to a broad spectrum of thoughts and ideas? Are you seeking them out? How are your areas of wellbeing? Do any need tweaking? We may be out of Lent, but that means we are in spring cleaning season!

May you the wholeness and renewal of Jesus Christ this Easter season and beyond,

Pastor Ryan

email Pastor Ryan at pastorryan@sotpmail.com

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