Tessera Materials

Prayer

Living God,
long ago, faithful women
proclaimed the good news
of Jesus’ resurrection,
and the world was changed forever.
Teach us to keep faith with them,
that our witness may be as bold,
our love as deep, 
our faith as true, 
and our joy as bountiful. Amen.

Scripture

Psalm 30

Reflection and Discussion

“And now in one hour’s time I will be out there again (running). I will raise my eyes and look down that corridor, 4 feet wide, with 10 lonely seconds to justify my whole existence. But will I?” ~Harold Abrahams, Chariots of Fire

“I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” ~Eric Liddell, Chariots of Fire

It’s Marathon Sunday here in Lincoln.

Some of us run. Some of us watch others run.

In the 1981 film Chariots of Fire (cue the iconic soundtrack), we meet British athletes Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell, whose stories unfold around the 1924 Olympics. The contrast between them is profound as shown in the quotes above: one runs to justify his existence, needing success to feel worthy; the other runs because he senses God’s joy and pleasure in the act itself. One strives to escape the weight of inadequacy through performance; the other runs freely, clothed in the joy of God.

Maybe you run. Maybe you don’t. But we all engage in activities—cooking, working, raising children, solving problems, washing dishes, mowing the lawn, planting gardens, building, fixing, and so much more.

Two people can do the same task. One may do it to prove their worth, seeking affirmation from others. The other does it with an awareness of God’s presence in the task itself—and in that presence, discovers joy. That’s the deeper gift.

Easter is a season of joy. Let's allow the presence of the Risen Christ to meet us and clothe us with joy through every task of life.

• In what activity do you most experience the joy and pleasure of God flowing through you?
• In what area of your life might you invite God more fully into the process, allowing His presence to clothe you with joy and lift you—through His mercy—from the weight you’re carrying?

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