The Lord is risen indeed…!

What’s your favorite Easter memory? I have many, but let me share two with you. The first is from age six or so, when my family had traveled to Illinois for Easter with Grandma Ray. On Easter Eve, I slept upstairs, anxiously awaiting that elusive Bunny to visit with chocolate, colorful eggs and maybe a present. This year, however, I was determined to get more- I wanted to catch the Bunny at work. So I set a trap. I drew arrows on small pieces of paper, and arranged them in a trail that led to…well…the Bunny would have to follow to find out. At the trail’s end were treats and a note saying, “Help yourself.” But that wasn’t all. I’d balanced my grandma’s extra cane in such a way that when the Bunny bent over for the treats, s/he would inevitably knock the cane over, waking me up so I could bound down the stairs in triumph and catch a glimpse of the mythical beast. Of course, when I awoke Sunday morning, at the normal time, ‘the Bunny’ had replaced a few of the arrows in my trail with jelly beans or Easter eggs, and the cane was still perched in its pre-alarm state. And yet, the treats were gone, which surprises no one who knows my parents, or knew Grandma Ray.


My second favorite Easter memory is less silly, and more frequent. It happens in most churches (that I’ve attended) during service. Someone will stand at the lectern, quiet the congregation, and proclaim full-voiced, excitedly, “Alleluia, Christ is risen!” We respond, “The Lord is risen, indeed!” That’s a favorite because all the hope and joy, expectation and love I can muster as a Christian hangs on the power of that triumphant proclamation.

Some might say that means I overvalue Easter, but I don’t agree. I think Easter is the best day of the year; the most awe-inspiring memory we Christians pass on to our children and communities. Christ is risen! You might understand the impact of that differently than I, but I’m guessing you think it has something to with Jesus’ overcoming death, transcending human sin and frailty, God revealing that the basic framework of God’s love puts “New Life” as THE priority, for humans, for the environment, for all Creation. It’s not so much an argument that Christians make on Easter. It’s a shout. “THE LORD IS RISEN, INDEED!!!” I’m getting chills while typing, that’s how much I love Easter.

And here’s the best part- You don’t have to shout by yourself. Easter invites us to celebrate Christ’s resurrection into new life in a new Body, together. Why? Because that powerful memory of the risen Christ that we pass on (should) demonstrates itself best in Christian community, in the redemption of the whole Body of Christ, especially our ever-increasing ability to be and share God’s Good News to our neighbors. In other words, Easter asks Christian communities to embody the resurrection.

Tall task, amen? But again, you don’t do it alone. And you don’t do it just once a year. We’ve been practicing this for some time now, which is why this Easter feels particularly exciting. For one, it’ll be my first with Plymouth Creek. But more than that, the Unbinding the Gospel process will have begun. To jog your memory, this is a process of training and empowering one another to grow in prayer and share our faith with our neighbors. Or, if you prefer, it’s a process to help us proclaim, “The Lord is risen, indeed!” with stronger confidence, deeper awe and humility, and greater hope that our proclaiming might bring divine love to folk we care about. How will we best be able to make this proclamation, with what words, or what deeds of compassion and justice? I don’t know, but I’m excited to find out! Because I know that this embodying the resurrection, this life of being the risen Christ to one another and those most vulnerable in our midst, this respect for community and its new-life-giving properties, it’s all something you’ve practiced for years. And it’s worth shouting about. “The Lord is risen, indeed! Right here, on this cozy street corner! In our very midst!” Don’t be surprised if you see some arrows pointing the way. In all things,

Grace and Peace,

Shane.

Read more!

What’s In a Name…

On June 26th, I plan to have a pretty decent day. I’ll be in Chicago with family and friends, and in my dreams, the day is warm, but not humid. That evening, as you may know, I will walk down a church aisle wearing a linen suit, and promise myself in marriage to a woman I’ve come to love and respect very much in the past three years. At the end of the worship service, we will walk through a community of our guests, no longer as two persons pursuing separate vocations, but as a new family, formed by promises and a shared understanding of God’s call on our lives. Which means, in some sense, we will be transformed. Not entirely, of course, but enough that we’ll both accept new expectations and responsibilities, will check something different on our 2009 tax returns (oh, the romance) and, of course, we’ll take on new identities. Husband and wife. Partner and spouse. Mr. and Mrs. … Isner.

Whoa! That last part may have been unexpected, so let me explain. Or perhaps I should quote a Servant Leader’s response when I informed them of this decision last time we met. "You're marrying each other, and you're marrying your names. That's cool." We couldn't agree more.

If you didn’t know, Tabitha’s last name is Knerr, mine is Isaac; do the math Is + ner and you get Isner. This decision is something we’ve spent months thinking about, praying about and discussing together. We’ve talked with our families, and our friends. I brought it up with the Servant Leaders, and told the Board. Now I’m writing this letter, because I know that two people combining their last names doesn’t happen every wedding. And since, at the very least, we’ll be changing the bulletin’s spelling of my name, I want to share our thoughts with you before it happened.

Basically, the question “What to do about our surname…” is something many couples ponder nowadays. Do we do what's traditional, and Tabitha takes Shane's name? Or what about Shane taking Tabitha's name? Are we comfortable with that? Does it reflect to us and our community the kind of mutual partnership we hope to create? Some of our loved ones answer those questions, 'yes,' and it brings them a real sense of meaning and joy. But we could not. Both of us felt attached enough to our surnames, the lives and families they represent, that the thought of entirely removing them from our lives didn't sit well. So another solution was needed.

What about the hyphenated name? Doesn't that make it clear that your marriage joins two lives and two families in equal measure? Again, some friends have said, "absolutely," and proudly make that dash on every check they now write. But we could not. We worried our children might then have to make a decision about which name to keep or which to drop when s/he also gets married. Just think, we could have been the Truscott-Perine-Welge-Bell-Miller-Brooks-Knerr-Isaac family!

Why not just keep both your names? You'd still be married, whether or not you shared a last initial, right? We know folk who've done this, and it feels wonderful for them. But we just really wanted the same last name, something common for the whole family.

That's when we thought, "Why not join our names?" And we liked it. It felt like a way to honor where we came from and who we’ve been, while also reflecting the full union and mutual partnership that will be our marriage. We know that’s not everyone’s choice or preference, but it fills us with joy about the new family we’re creating out of the two beloved families from which we’ve come.

We hope that explains somewhat the quirky decision we’ve made. When I told Dad, after some discussion he said, “Well, does that mean we get free tickets to Disney World (referencing, of course, the former CEO of Disney, Michael Eisner)?” Alas, we don’t think so. But we appreciated his and Mom’s support. It’s going to be an adjustment, of course, for all of us. I’ll still call myself Rev. Isaac every now and then on accident, so thanks in advance for your patience and support. Ultimately, we hope it reflects what marriage has always done- God transforming, through love and promises, two lives into one new life, a new family, for the sake of better loving the world. May that be true of your families as I pray it will be of mine. In all things,

Grace and Peace,

Shane.

Read more!