By The Rev. Matthew D. O’Rear (he/him), Pastor at St. Luke Lutheran Church (Atlanta, GA)

It’s striking how often people miss Jesus after the resurrection. Mary stands in the garden speaking with him and assumes he’s the gardener. The disciples are out fishing, and when someone calls from the shore, they don’t recognize him at first. These are not strangers. These are the ones who knew him best.

Which makes you wonder if resurrection isn’t just hard to believe, but hard to recognize.

That question followed me when I first came to St. Luke in Atlanta. The story I was given was clear and honest. The church was declining. Attendance was down. The narrative, supported by the data, was that this was a community nearing its end.

But I found myself asking a different question.

What if we weren’t watching something slowly die? What if something had already come to an end? Not the gospel. Not Christ’s love. But some of the ways this community had once understood itself.

That question didn’t fix anything overnight. It didn’t remove the grief. But it shifted how we paid attention. Because if something has already been laid down, then the question is no longer how to save it. The question becomes whether we trust resurrection.

Three and a half years later, I can say this: we have seen it. Not a return to what was. Not a simple recovery. But new life. Growth in numbers, yes, but also growth in purpose. New ways of showing up for neighbors in need. New energy, new connections, new risks taken in love. We look different. And yet, we are still St. Luke.

Because in the Gospel story, the risen Christ is recognizable, but not immediately. Present, but unexpected. Alive, but different enough that people have to learn to see him again. So maybe the issue isn’t that life isn’t there. Maybe it’s that we don’t recognize it yet. Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them. And they follow me.” Not because everything is clear, but because something in them knows that voice.

That has been our work. Listening for that voice. Trusting it enough to follow, even when the path didn’t look familiar. So before we rush to name what is dying, it may be worth asking a more honest question. What if something has already been placed in the tomb? And what if something new is already rising? Where are you seeing signs of life you almost missed?

Resurrection doesn’t always announce itself. Sometimes it just stands on the shore, waiting for us to see.

About the Author

The Rev. Matthew D. O’Rear is pastor of St. Luke Lutheran Church in Atlanta. A native Atlantan, he has served many years in theological education, helping form leaders for lives of public ministry. His work is rooted in radical welcome, honest faith, and a refusal to separate love of Jesus from the work of justice. He writes and teaches to challenge shallow faith, name hard truths, and call people into a faith that actually shows up in the world. He lives in Atlanta with his husband, Jay.