In the mean time

My acting debut went ok last night. My cold is much better. I remembered all the things I was supposed to say. I got some good feedback. All in all I felt like our Good Friday gathering was quite worshipful. We took communion together and remembered our Lord's death. It was a meaningful time. Tomorrow is Easter - the celebration of the most distinctive doctrine in the Christian faith - the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Today is Saturday.

The Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday is sort of an awkward day for me. As a pastor who tries to design worship experiences, I want a Good Friday time to be somber, serious and somewhat dark. It should foster an attitude of humility, reflection and gratitude. Easter Sunday should be bright and loud with an attitude of celebration and victory. But, somewhere between the despair of Friday and the celebration of Sunday comes... Saturday - the mean time.

We know what happened Friday; we know what's coming Sunday. So, today we just... wait, I guess.

It seems like a lot of our lives is spent "in the mean time". When I felt like it was time for me to move out of youth ministry several years ago, I went through about 18 months of difficult "mean time" - knowing something different was coming but not knowing what or when. I bet I have had 5 or 6 conversations with individuals just in the last few weeks - people who are going through the same thing in their career. It seems like God gives us a desire or a dream and then makes us wait - and wait to see it come to fruition. In fact, it seems like the wait is much longer than it needs to be. I know several couples that have been praying earnestly for children. They would be great parents too. And they continue to wait. I know that there is a high likelihood that eventually they will have children - either though natural biology or through adoption. But today, their arms are still empty. Life in the mean time.

It is obvious that the ability to wait is important to God. It is a common theme in all of our stories. Is there anything that tests our faith more than waiting? In fact, one gets the impression that the more important the mission - the more important the promise, the longer the people have to wait to see it come to pass. How old was Abraham before the promised son was finally given? How long was Moses in Midian? How long has the church waited for Christ to finally come back?

Our ability to wait says a lot about us. It says a lot about who we are trusting in too. This is a tough principle for me. Patience is not one of my virtues. But God is teaching me.