“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” (1 Peter 1:3)
Most pastors have or will experience the dreaded, ‘Monday Morning Blues’ (MMB) after a Sunday service. In simple terms, it describes the intense discouragement and sense of failure that can follow the high demands of Sunday ministry. It could be the sermon: too short, too long, lacking something or containing too much of something else. It could be the absence of encouraging feedback, low attendance, criticism, or even a missed opportunity to connect with a visitor. At times, it is simply a lingering sense that the service felt flat. MMB is not just emotional – it is physical and spiritual. I’ve been there.
In an article I read this week, a pastor reflected on his MMB after an Easter service. Sitting in his office, exhausted, he noticed an early draft of his sermon notes. It contained the usual scribbles and arrows but right in the middle – tripled circled in bold – were two words from in 1 Peter 1:3: living hope! In that moment, it struck him: although he had preached this glorious truth the day before, he now realised in his post-Easter haze, how deeply he needed to participate in that living hope for himself.
Jonathan Edwards once said, “There is a difference between having a rational judgment that honey is sweet and having a sense of its sweetness”. The same is true of the resurrection. The author went on to make the point that as pastors we cannot merely proclaim a hope we have neglected to personally embrace. The doctrine of the resurrection must go beyond intellectual assent. It’s something we embody as followers of Jesus. Otherwise, we are missing the point.
“…living hope…It’s much more than a mere line of sentiment; it’s a theological thunderclap. It reminds us that resurrection is much more than a past historical event or a future eschatological promise – it’s a present reality, pulsing with every heartbeat of our existence. It’s something alive. Right now, it’s breathing new life into once-dead hearts …” (Chris Poblete).
To embody this living hope of the Resurrection, the author pleads with pastors to die to the idol of performance, that their worth is not measured by the quality of their sermons, the size of the congregation, criticisms or church services not quite hitting the right notes. Poblete writes, “Your worth was sealed the moment you were united with Christ – by grace through faith – in his death and resurrection… Even now, the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, reviving a spiritual vitality that ministry has worn down, restoring in you what exhaustion has depleted”.
Another timely message for me. God is kind and faithful in all his words!
What about you? What would it mean and look like for you, in your particular struggle or circumstances, to truly embrace and live out the living hope you have received through the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
Be participants, not just believers and messengers of the resurrection!
Happy Easter!
Mark
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