Easter is a season of new life! We celebrate the new life we have in Christ (Romans 6:4), in growing continuously into who it is that God is making us to be (Romans 12:2).

Throughout the Northern Hemisphere we’re witnessing the new growth of spring all around us. I see it in the pines! Generally, we think of pines as giant trees that drop their needle like leaves, which we dress up our lawns with from time to time. But each of those giant pines started out as this, and even smaller. Their growth is more noticeable when they’re young when you can see the light green new branches, they worked all winter to grow.

We too are invited into the continuous journey of growth: growing in our discovering ourselves, growing in discovering God in our lives, and growing in our service to the community we live. How are you growing? What is God growing within you? Who is God growing that we could connect with? Those questions are not easy. They take time to prayerfully enter into! “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). I know, I’ve written on this verse before, and it’s important for us to remember. The ‘be transformed’ in that verse is μεταμορφοῦσθε (metamorphosthe) in the Greek; and one of the most important aspects about this verb is that it is in the present tense, which means that it could be better understood as ‘be continuously transformed.’

Think then about how God continuously grows/transforms us to “discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect.” We won’t always see the growth. Sometimes we undergo seasons of life that feel like winter or dying/deadness is all around. Sounds kind of like the Holy Weekend in which the disciples thought that Christ was just dead. And now, with Easter, God surprises us all with an empty grave and Christ living among us now.

Therefore, I ask us once again (each of us individually, and we collectively) How are you growing? What is God growing within you? Who is God growing that we could connect with? If we believe (and I certainly do) that God is continuously growing things within us, then may we join our hearts, minds, and spirits in prayer to discern what God is growing among us! Amen.