Awake for Twenty-Five Years

When I first got sober and was still in treatment another recovering person, an Episcopal priest, came to visit me. He was sober for a couple years at the time and reflected for a moment on his own journey up to that point. As he spoke he stopped and said:

Just wait until Easter. You won't believe it.

A little less than 5 months later I stood in our local Moravian cemetery for our wondrous Easter dawn service. I remember that there was some type of sunrise that morning. My wife/pastor spoke the ancient words:

The Lord is risen!

As I joined the rest of the gathered congregation in responding:

The Lord is risen indeed!

The congregation, led by our brass choir, me on trumpet, sang

Hail, all hail victorious Lord and Savior!

I played, hearing the well-known words in my head, and remembered the words of my recovering clergy colleague back in November and was amazed.

The twelfth step of Alcoholics Anonymous starts with the phrase

Having had a spiritual awakening...

At that moment I understood it.

I was awake.

That was 25 years ago on Easter. I remember it every year when we proclaim that the Lord is risen. I also remember that I, too, have been raised with Him to new life.

I am still awake and more grateful every year.