Dear All,
As we celebrate Easter this year, we remember that there is much for us to rejoice in and I pray that as we reflect once more on the resurrection stories and rejoice in the God who is always giving us life, there will be a stirring of new life and hope within us. The possibilities of new life and fresh hope, which are depicted in the Gospel stories of the first disciples’ encounters with the resurrected Jesus, followed the darkest of days when Jesus was crucified and died. These resurrection encounters profoundly affected the first disciples; they were transformed and their whole way of viewing God, themselves, life, death and indeed, everything, would never be the same again. Peter wrote about this in his first letter:
What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven - and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you'll have it all - life healed and whole. (1 Peter 1:6-7, The Message).
Indeed, what a God we have! And by choosing to follow Jesus and be a part of our church family, we have left our old lives behind and are now blessed with a wonderful, brand-new life in God. The ‘brand-new life’ Peter writes about, speaks to us of how ‘new’ our life now is. We have all been ‘given a brand-new life’ and a God filled future which starts right now. Whatever we are going through, even if we are walking through dark days, we can be certain that the new ‘Day’ that Peter speaks of is breaking into today. Praise God!
So, as we celebrate this Easter, let us hold onto God as we expectantly look for resurrection life and light within our own lives and within our broken, hurting world today. However, we reflect on the Resurrection stories, however we understand them, we all fully grasp that there is a message here about hope for today and for the future. The Spirit of God assures us that because of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, we are his beloved children and that whatever we go through in this life, we do so as those who are strengthened and sustained by God’s resurrection power and in this same power, we will be lovingly held forever. The Risen Lord now beckons us to live transformed lives, to see everything differently and to go into the world with faith, hope and love and make a real difference in his glorious name.
With much love,
An Easter Prayer:
Loving God,
on this Easter morning, we celebrate the miracle of life, renewal, and hope.
May the story of Christ’s resurrection remind us that love is stronger than fear,
that justice will rise even in the face of oppression,
and that new beginnings are always possible.
Fill our hearts with compassion for all people,
guide us in the ways of peace and kindness,
and help us to be bearers of your light in the world.
In the spirit of the risen Christ, who welcomes all,
Amen.