A grateful thanks to Deacon John for his contribution last week with a message for Easter which left me without a job to do; and for all his contributions during the pandemic.
He is risen from the dead. Alleluia. The great season of Easter is the life of the church. It echoes with life, with His promise “I have come so that you may have life and have it to the full”. The stories of the resurrection in the Gospel gives a birds eye view of the event which helps us to understand the scriptures. The detail, the lack of recognition, the limitations of human nature while on earth, indeed the confusion sometimes contrasting with attention to detail. Peter’s perception in John’s Gospel is an example. “Simon Peter who was following up, now came and went right into the tomb, saw the linen cloths on the ground and also the cloth that had been over His head, this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself”. Detail provided by a witness on the ground. Another account, Mary of Magdala, “as she turned round and saw Jesus standing there”. Jesus said “Woman why are you weeping? Who are you weeping for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said “Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him and I will go and remove him”. Jesus said “Mary” she knew Him and said in Hebrew “Rabbuni – Master”.
Life this year is full of constraints attached to our response to living with the covid virus. There is merit in the guidelines, but overall we need to give greater attention to Jesus with His promise “I have come so that you may have life and have it to the full”. The grace that I have experienced in our celebration of the liturgies contrasts so much. A great big thank you to the stewards, and cleaners, thank you to all those who helped. And a final thanks to you and indeed thanks be to God.
So please God, for our future, for the life of our church. The church has been challenged and found wanting, it is the story of our lives at the moment. Please God for our lives in the future, a new generation in the life of the church. Let us plan for it and work for it. It can only happen with a new generation. Alongside this are the threats of global warming, great poverty and the need for governments across the world to come together to seriously address these issues. Humbly, we need to say ‘please God, help us all to work for a new world in the morning’.