While the Easter season continues right up until the Day of Pentecost, following the big celebrations of Resurrection Sunday, I find myself asking, "What now?" I'm preparing my spirit for the "After Easter Let-Down" on Sunday and just saw the attached picture at textweek.com. My eye was first drawn to the finger of Thomas actually inserted into the wound in the side of Jesus. My first reaction was disgust.

What now? What now that Jesus is alive? What now that death has been conquered? What now? Well, what happens now is a lot of doubt. What happens now is a whole lot of questions. What now? - is a whole lot of us Thomas-like folk saying, "I'll believe it when I see it for myself."

And, here is the thing with that. After I realized that I was disgusted by the picture, I suddenly felt myself drawn upward. First, to Jesus' eyes as he gazes gently down at Thomas and then to his hand that is actually guiding Thomas' own hand as he searches for the answers to his questions in the very body of the risen Christ.

What now? What happens after all the fanfare is over? What happens after all the eggs have been accounted for? What happens when the flowers on the crosses fade away? Doubt and questions happen. And, when those questions arise as if out of a dark tomb, Jesus is there gently guiding us further and further into his risen self.

What now? Yes, we must keep asking, "What now?"
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Image: Caravaggio at Hermanoleon

This blog is a ministry of Memphis Theological Seminary. Why "Miriam's Tambourine"? As I reflected on multiple scriptures in an attempt to discern what God may want to do through me and this blog, I found myself thinking about Miriam, that prophet, found in Exodus. In particular, I was drawn to Exodus 15:20-21:

"Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine and led all the women as they played their tambourines and danced. And Miriam sang this song: 'Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea.'" (New Living Translation)

The Israelites had been through a terrible ordeal and when they found themselves on the other side of it, they were compelled to worship God. Miriam used a tool, a tambourine, in order to draw others into worship. My hope for this space is that it become a community gathering spot where we find tools that will bring us and those with whom we serve into worship.

In the coming weeks you will find liturgies for planning worship around the lectionary readings, original artwork inspired by the lectionary texts, and my own random thoughts about what the scriptures are saying to me. May our planning of worship together feel like a dance before God.