“From Rubbish to Resurrection” is the Lenten theme at my church, Cross of Hope Lutheran Church, Ramsey, Minn. The “centerpiece” of this theme is a broken-down bicycle we call Hope Faith Young.
The church found Hope at a bicycle-repair shop that repairs, then donates bikes to people in need. She is being restored at Wednesday night services by our church members. During Holy Week she will be taken to another location, sandblasted and painted.
She will emerge in all of her newness on Easter Sunday. After Easter Sunday, Cross of Hope will donate Hope Faith Young to a shelter for homeless teens called Hope for Youth. I love that the word hope is shared among our church, the youth shelter, and the bicycle.
I have been recording Hope’s journey–in her voice–on our church’s Facebook page, and it has been an amazing experience for me.
Here’s what I’ve learned. At one point in our lives, we have all been rubbish, set aside or overlooked, either by others, or in our own minds. Christ found us and restored us to our original glory. We can now go forth and serve others.
I’ve also learned that restoration can be painful as sometimes we hang on to our dirt and rust too hard. That’s when Christ needs to rap us to make us let go, stripping us down to the basics. This can be painful, and, at times, we will cry. Last night I learned that every piece of the bicycle is washed and cleaned before being reassembled.
My faith journey has closely resembled Hope’s journey. I think that all of our stories are ones of rubbish, redemption and resurrection because of God’s great and unending love.
God is good all the time.
Nancy Giddings serves on the churchwide executive board; she lives in Blaine, Minn.
Photo: The photo of “Hope” was provided by Cross of Hope Lutheran Church.
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