Today, no matter how we congregate,

we come to celebrate
and circulate
the hope of our Savior,
the story of Easter.

It’s about the one who healed the paralyzed,
lifted up the trivialized,
challenged the fossilized,
and forgave the jeopardized.
And its full of promise and solace
and rawness and dramas.
It’s the story of the King of Lost Causes.

He’s the one who took water—
those waves in which we drown—
and he walked on them, like solid ground.
In storms that threatened life and limb
that struck fear in the hearts of all but him,
he saw those stormy seas—
including the ones in me—
And he ordered them, “Be… still.”
And they obeyed his will.
Because creation won’t be lawless
before the King of Lost Causes.

Consider the woman whose disease was chronic,
who’d tried every doctor’s toxic tonic,
giving all she had (though it was never millions)
to suffer through treatments that were worse than the illness.
But by some vicious curse,
she kept getting worse.
Until she pressed through a mob of people
and reached out one feeble
hand… and touched his robe,
and power flowed
and she could finally know… solace
because of the King of Lost Causes.

Or the man who came, fleet-footed
and fell at Jesus’ feet, rooted
to the spot to plead, ruined
for his little daughter,
saying, “Come lay your hands on her.”
But no sooner had he begged for her
than up ran a messenger
who said,
“Your daughter is dead.”
Then Jesus turned to face
this man whose world had just caved
and said, “Don’t be afraid…”
“Just believe.”
For soon she would receive
life.
For death can’t keep its promise
against the King of Lost Causes.

And he would prove it on the cross,
the very picture of a lost cause.
But not even that could bow his head,
for the one who gave us the gift of breath
truly has power over life and death.
and he stepped…
no, he swept,
no he leapt
into life again!
So we could begin again!

Because I was
a lost cause
until he paused
my death-destined direction
with his death and resurrection!

So despair cannot have us
disease cannot flag us,
sin will not stain us,
and death cannot slay us.
For this promise is flawless:
the Savior who saw us
the Christ who has called us
he is the King of Lost Causes.

Just a little behind the scenes note: Due to the nationwide quarantine, my wife was the camera person for this! And what you can’t see (just off screen) are our three kids. The whole family was in the woods, making Easter happen!