Jesus said that when he has ascended to the Father, he will send the Holy Spirit to lead his new family into all truth and will empower us. The same power from the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in Jesus’s family of disciples. Living in the truth and power of the Spirit gives us hope for the future. All of us who are joined with Christ by the Spirit are called together to expand the Kin(g)dom of God.
As we contemplate the meaning of Jesus’s resurrection, we are exploring what it means to live into this new kind of life—resurrection life. Resurrection life is a life of hope, collaborating with God’s people and God’s Spirit. That brings us to the concept of “Yes, And”. This core principle of Improv has been used to teach people a mindset that opens one up to greater collaboration and creativity. Saying “Yes” to our siblings in Christ and to the Spirit is a posture of open-mindedness. Saying, “Yes, AND” means we have something important to contribute. And living this out in community means that we view challenges as opportunities.
In her book, Bossypants, famous SNL writer and comedian, Tina Fey, talks about “Yes, And” as a life-philosophy that has a lot to teach us about collaborating with the Spirit. She says, the first rule of improvisation is Agreement. In a scene, respect what your scene-partner gives you. God calls us and we consent to the call placed on our lives. The second rule is to Add to it. Each of us has specific gifts and identities we bring to the scene. Each one is important and needed. Next, we Make Statements. In the power of the Spirit, we have a message of hope to declare. And, finally, There are No Mistakes, Only Opportunities. This is where grace comes in. In our improv scene with the Spirit, we will not always get it right. But, there are no mistakes in improv, only opportunities. Our hope comes not from our performance, but from the Spirit’s power and Jesus’s peace.