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Jesus told the story of the young man who went away from his father's house and squandered his inheritance on what could not and did not give him life. His days became routinized and circular, and as his money diminished the fullness of his life slipped away. When he ran out of money he was living a leaden, deadened existence.

He was left like a tree in winter, stripped of its colorful swaying leaves standing lone and lank in the bitter of midwinter cold. Hunger overtook him and he searched for food with the swine. It was then, yes, it was then - in the empty, hopeless, hungry place that he came to himself. He woke from sleep. He came to life. He found himself. He touched his soul.

Life is filled with tragedy and celebration, fullness and emptiness, sadness and joy. Moving within these extremes is part of what it means to be human - to be alive. What is tragic is living without awareness, without alertness, remaining asleep in the midst of the movement of creation. That land of absent being can slowly sap the strength of life away.

Take a minute to think of your own life. There is a moment when, like the young man Jesus talked about, you come to yourself. There is a moment when you begin to wake from sleep; you feel the breath of God moving through your nostrils; you hear the beat of your pumping heart; you allow the callous of routine and consistency to drop away leaving you fresh and raw to the wonder and glory of life.

Resurrection is about this waking from sleep. Becoming aware. Becoming attentive. Opening up. Giving in to curiosity. Seeing everything, feeling everything as if for the first time. And life is experienced anew.

Take time to come to yourself. Pay attention to God's Holy Spirit pulsing within you. Wipe the sleep from your eyes. Wake up.
(Come to life. Touch your soul.)
The Rev. Canon Renée Miller

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Music: "Life is Today" from "The Clergy's Lamentation." Traditional arrangement by Daniel F. Johnston and Jeanne Simmons. Copyright 2003 Daniel Foster Johnston.