West Main

Resurrection matters.  To be precise, the resurrection of Jesus Christ matters the most.  Without the resurrection of Jesus nothing else in this world does matter. As the Apostle Paul says, ^“For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.  And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.  Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Cor 15:16-19).

Why would Paul say that if there is no afterlife, then the present life we live is futile?  If there is no resurrection from the dead, then does that mean all the good we have done in our lives was not good?  What about the love we have for our families?  What about the love of our friendships?  Does the absence of resurrection from the dead nullify all the good and love we have experienced in this present life? Is it not the case that if you feed someone who is hungry, then they would consider such an act good regardless of whether or not there is a resurrection from the dead?  In other words, a hungry man may not rise from the dead tomorrow, but his stomach can be filled today, and to the hungry that is a good thing.

The book of Ecclesiastes can help shed some light on the need for resurrection and the value it provides to this present life.  The preacher of Ecclesiastes declares, “For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity.  All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return.  Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth?  So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?” (Ecclesiastes 3:19-22).

As to the question of whether or not the good we do today has value, Ecclesiastes tells us to “rejoice in [our] work.”  We can have joy, blessing, and goodness in this present life. However, the issue of the good we may experience in this life ultimately comes back to the issue of purpose and meaning. What is the purpose of all I do and experience in this life if everything and everyone ultimately turns to dust?  What did the good I enjoy in life ultimately mean if such good ultimately turns to dust? What is the point of it all? Are we living our lives for the sole purpose of becoming dust in the wind?

Jesus’ resurrection from the dead redeems us from the dust and gives purpose and meaning to what we experience in this life. The resurrection of Jesus and his coming to redeem our present life is “training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:12-14).  As redeemed children of God in Jesus Christ, we know that the good works we do and enjoy in this present age are a participation in the eternal kingdom of God that is coming into this world. In the book of Revelation, John speaks of how we “will bring into [the kingdom of God] the glory and the honor of the nations” (Revelation 21:26).  The good we do and enjoy today will follow us into eternity.  In other words, we are building an eternal good with an eternal purpose and meaning.  Yes, resurrection matters.

– Terry

OUR NEW DIRECTORIES  are ready and are on the information table in the courtyard.  Please take only one copy per family - the directories in the binders are for our new members.

ELDERS' OPEN HOUSE  --  Our next Elders’ Open House will be on Sunday, April 15, at the homes of Gerry and September Flock and Lance and Betty Lake.  You are invited to visit their homes from 2:00-4:00 p.m. We will have maps to their homes on that Sunday for your convenience.

CAMP NEWS  --   Our theme this year is “Once Upon A Time.”  We all like different kinds of stories, but no one likes a bad story!  What we often fail to recognize is that our life is also a story. This year at Southern Oregon Christian Camp we are going to dive into this concept of “Life as a Story” by looking at the greatest story ever told!

This year camp registration fees will only be $50.00 per camper.  We anticipate that camp will fill up quickly.  Camper registrations will be available in May.  Please mark your calendars for July 8-14 to join us at Box R Ranch.  Camp registration deadline will be June 25. We will not refund any camper registration fees after June 25.

We look forward to seeing you there and hope to leave you all with the desire to “write a better story.”  Be there.  God is giving us a clean slate...let’s create something beautiful!

PRAYER REQUESTS AND PRAISES . . . Laura Drew wishes to thank everyone for their prayers for Joe - he is home now and recovering...Moe and Nancy Miller’s mother does not have cancer - thank you for your prayers...Please pray for the family of Joy Cannon who lost her battle with cancer - please pray for comfort and peace for her husband and three young children...For Jesse Page as he recovers from surgery...For Kathy York’s mother, Bettie Dahlager, who will be having a biopsy this week - please pray that it is benign...For Larry Denn who will be having shoulder surgery on Wednesday...The Larry Denn family asks your prayers for several family members: their granddaughter, Shannon, for her tonsillectomy; for the mother-in-law of their son, Tony, who has a brain tumor; their daughter-in-law, Joy’s,  mother has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; their grandson, Trent and Kari, as they travel to Wyoming...Praises that all of our members arrived home safely from the Mexico mission trip...For our President and all of our military men, women and families.