On Finding Beauty in the Mundane
Holding my breath too soon, I had to gasp for air when she asked me the final question.
“Who is your Savior?”
“Jesus Christ!” I gasped.
With a quick breath in, my two friends lowered me into the cool baptismal waters, symbolizing that I once was dead in my flesh, and then raising me up into a new life in Christ. As it rushed over me, the water represented the grander theme of the day: Jesus, who once was dead, is indeed alive.
It was a cold Easter morning four years ago and my heart needed the pomp and circumstance of that gathering. I needed to experience a day that felt just as big as the grace I experienced when I accepted Christ. But now, the story of Easter is free to be carried into the mundane parts of my day.
Being in full time ministry, I find it harder to prepare my heart and truly experience holy days like Easter. Truthfully, Easter for church workers is comparable to that big work conference you’ve spent a month or so preparing for. You’ve made the checklists, timelines, and rehearsed your script. Current and prospective clients gather expectantly. You put your all into it and take a long nap when you’re done.
Our combined Sunrise Service on the Beltline was such an innovative way to share Christ with our city! Love it!
I do not mean to overshadow Holy Week or make it seem like a production. We work hard to make Easter a worshipful experience and I really think it was! But if I’m being completely honest, for me, it passed in a blur of pastel.
Yet, I do not see that as a bad thing. You see, I’m no longer standing in the baptism pool as a new believer. The excitement and wonder of Christ has become a more constant theme of my life, rather than a fresh perspective that changed everything. As they lifted me out of the waters of baptism, they lifted me into a new life. The old had gone and the new had come. And in the last 4 years, I’ve been discovering what living a new life looks like.
Someone recently told a story about their pastor overusing the phrase, “We are an Easter people.” Gag. Cliches. Yet, the sentiment is true. We are a people who live after Lent, after the fear of Good Friday, after the wailings of Holy Saturday. We are a people who know life can come from death, love overcomes hate, and eternal grace is available to all.
So we live with an understanding that Jesus is alive. He wasn’t just alive on Sunday morning. He is alive today and is threading His love through each aspect of our lives.
A dear friend of mine recently advised that I listen to Christy Nockles podcast "Glorious in the Mundane." Y’all, it is so.good. I listen to her words in the most mundane parts of my day, while walking the dog or stuck in rush hour traffic. Her words give me the freedom to experience honest worship outside the walls of a church building. Her stories remind me Christ’s loving presence is laced through daily chores, commutes, and conversations. The new life we boast on that Holy Sunday is the same life we can be living from day to day.
So the last couple weeks, I started to look for Christ's glory and beauty in average moments. I made a list of the past few weeks for myself that I’m willing to share with you.
SUNDAY:
We’ve started new holiday traditions in the Reilly house this year as it seems that every church holiday we find ourselves eating fast food. Our kids are going to be 18 before they realize not everyone eats QT taquitos for Christmas dinner or Wendy’s to celebrate Christ’s resurrection. But alas, that’s what you get when you add one introvert and two church workers. After a 3 hour nap, we invited over friends to “do nothing” with us. And that’s how we spent the evening, doing nothing on the front porch. For me, it was such a beautiful gift to have front porch sitting, no airs given, ponytail wearing, do nothing friends.
MONDAY:
Confession: I slept until 2:37pm on Monday and went to bed early. But for the few hours I was awake, I turned up my worship music, threw a few loads of laundry in the washer, forgot one load over night, and played a lot of Sudoku. I’m usually all about checking items off my to-do list, but by the grace of God, I was able to treat this day as a real day of rest. And I was reminded that there is beauty and grace in the ability just to “be.”
TUESDAY:
There is a group of young adult ladies in Texas that melt my heart with their love for the Lord. I was already sleeping when I saw one of them was calling, so I answered groggily. She started talking about a really big theological issue that she was discovering and discerning in her faith. I jumped out of bed and ran to William (this stuff is where he thrives!) The three of us had such a good discussion mulling over the mysteries of faith, interpretation of scripture, and personal experiences of God that we've each had. It was a beautiful conversation because I love to watch her learn and invest and doubt and discern. It's also a privilege to be the one that gets woken up.
WEDNESDAY:
On Wednesday night we met with a group of friends who love Jesus, talking, food, and each other. We celebrated victories, questioned life, encouraged each other, pondered what it means to live lives of “Easter people,” stayed way too late, and laughed a whole lot. Every time I’m with them I walk away recharged (with is saying a LOT for an introvert). Find people who breath life, grab a table and some Merlot, and soak up every minute.
When I began looking, I was surprised at how often I find glimpses of glory and holiness woven throughout the day.
This I know to be true: Christ is risen, indeed. Through Him we are given life, a life defined by glorious mysteries, living Saviors, and never-ending grace. Therefore, each moment can be glorious.
And if you love liturgical holidays, don't work at a church. :)
