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Video
Gathering
Welcome to our online worship for Easter 2020. Today’s liturgy comes from One Great Hour of Sharing Worship Resources written for PC(USA) by Rev. Chip Hardwick.
WORDS OF WORSHIP
This is the day the LORD has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Do not be afraid; Jesus was crucified but he is now risen.
He is risen indeed!
In Jesus Christ God has loved us with an everlasting love.
God has continued to be faithful to us. Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed!
Let us worship our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
GATHERING PRAYER (adapted from Jeremiah 31:1-4)
O Lord, you are God of all Israel, and God over all the earth. You have shown us
grace in the hope of our risen Savior. You appeared to us when we were yet far
away, and you have loved us with an everlasting love. We will dance and sing
because of our love for you—the One who repairs the breach, and who calls us
to serve at the side of your risen Son our Lord, Jesus Christ, in whose name we
pray. Amen.
CONFESSION AND PARDON (adapted from Psalm 118)
With the psalmist, we pray that God would open the gates of righteousness to us--
gates that we cannot open ourselves. We can only enter through them with Christ’s
forgiveness. Let us confess our sins now, with confidence in the grace of our Triune
God.
Lord Jesus Christ, you have risen from the dead and given us the gift of
new life. Forgive us for living as if we had no hope. We struggle to leave
behind our limited perspectives and our dogged despair. Slow us down
today, that we would be resurrection people who know and share your
Easter joy throughout the world. Once again, send us your forgiving Spirit,
who brought you back from the dead and who strengthens us to serve you
in the world you love so much. Wipe away our sin, risen Lord, out of your
great love for us. Amen.
The Lord is our strength and our might; God has become our salvation.
You have answered us and have become our Savior.
The great good news of the gospel is that our sin is forgiven!
This is the Lord’s doing: it is marvelous in our eyes.
Thanks be to God!
Word
May the peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
May we hear once again in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments that God offers us hope for restoration even in the midst of adversity, and may we be reminded in the Easter Story the Good News that Christ our Lord has conquered both sin and death so that we might live free. Amen.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS
Scripture Readings
First Reading: Jeremiah 31:1-6, NLT
31 “In that day,” says the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people. 2 This is what the Lord says:
“Those who survive the coming destruction
will find blessings even in the barren land,
for I will give rest to the people of Israel.”
3 Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
4 I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel.
You will again be happy
and dance merrily with your tambourines.
5 Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria
and eat from your own gardens there.
6 The day will come when watchmen will shout
from the hill country of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem
to worship the Lord our God.’”
Psalter: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24, NLT
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Let all Israel repeat:
“His faithful love endures forever.”
14 The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.
15 Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly.
The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!
16 The strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph.
The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!
17 I will not die; instead, I will live
to tell what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has punished me severely,
but he did not let me die.
19 Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,
and I will go in and thank the Lord.
20 These gates lead to the presence of the Lord,
and the godly enter there.
21 I thank you for answering my prayer
and giving me victory!
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing,
and it is wonderful to see.
24 This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-4, GW
3 Since you were brought back to life with Christ, focus on the things that are above—where Christ holds the highest position. 2 Keep your mind on things above, not on worldly things. 3 You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 Christ is your life. When he appears, then you, too, will appear with him in glory.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 28:1-10, NLT
28 Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.
2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.
5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7 And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”
8 The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. 9 And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”
This is the word of the Lord, Thanks be to God!
SERMON Resurrection and the Hope of Restoration
In a recent online worship service, Adam Hamilton said what has been on my mind preparing for the Easter season, that this year the world needs Easter more than ever. The God Sighting Gals and I agreed on Palm Sunday that it feels very strange to have Holy Week without going to church. It feels strange to be planning for Easter Worship without lilies or music. But it is a reminder that the message of Easter is more important than the decorations. Even in the midst of worldwide isolation and social distancing, the message and hope of the resurrection is still valid, but we need to find something within it that applies to our here and now. I think more than ever it is important to find a message in Easter that isn’t just about what one author called life after life after death. We need a message of restoration for this life on this earth in this time as well as the hope of resurrection beyond the grave.
Through the Great Fifty Days of the Easter season to Pentecost, I’m going to be basing the weekly message on a devotional book by Paula Gooder, This Risen Existence which looks at the Easter story as told by each of the gospels, in the letters, and then the stories of Ascension and Pentecost. In the Introduction she writes of the resurrection, “On the simplest of levels Jesus’ resurrection is straightforward good news – Jesus was dead; now he is alive…but there is more to it than even that. Jesus’ resurrection points us to a new way of looking at the world, a new way of being that changes who we are and how we live in the world.” (p. {2}) I think that is even more true this year as COVID-19 has forced us to think about new ways of doing things, new ways of living. What does it mean to live a resurrection life in the midst of that?
We are accustomed to paralleling the new life of Spring with Easter. Green grass, flowers beginning to bloom, buds on the trees, animals from chicks to butterflies. I can still see grass, trees, birds, and squirrels from my window. A rabbit and I watched each other in the backyard one night. Gooder suggests the newness “gives us a sense of hope, of life beyond the grim realities of the everyday, of a future.” (p. {3}) I know I especially need that this year. I couldn’t wait to get past the gray days to sunshine and past the snow that won’t let go; I needed to see the robins return and hear the birds through open windows or while sitting in my backyard.
But beyond that treasured symbolism of butterflies and Easter lilies, Gooder reminds her readers that Jesus’ resurrection is more than that. It is even more than other Bible stories of people raised from death. This year’s flowers will fade and wilt. Lazarus was brought back to life, but eventually he would die again. Yet “Jesus rose to new life and will never die again.” (p. {3}) That’s a big difference, but I never really thought much about it before. Gooder goes on to say, “Jesus rose not to the same life – as Lazarus did – but to a different life in which death no longer features.” (p. {4})
Some Jews in Jesus’ day did believe in resurrection at a future time when God would raise the dead and usher in a time of prosperity and peace. (p. {5}) You can imagine that those in Jesus day living under Roman domination certainly looked forward to this. We get the hint that Martha believed this in her conversation with Jesus after her brother, Lazarus’ death in John 11. In verse 24, she says “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” This anticipates an end-times and new era. Gooder speculates that Jesus’ resurrection confused the disciples, because they were also looking for a last days’ resurrection for those who had died. They may have wondered why only Jesus was raised if “For them the ‘something more’ of Jesus’ resurrection was the belief that the end times had already started.” (p. {5}) Gooder adds that “The end times had begun, but not in their entirety; new creation sprang forth but still waited for fulfillment.” (p. {5}) This fits with my understanding of the Kingdom of God that is here now in part but not yet complete. Part of my take on the kingdom is that we are to live it now daily even as we look toward that fulfillment. I think this is akin to Gooder’s concept of living the resurrection here and now.
For Gooder and for us, “the world is as it always was with wars, heartache, poverty and oppressions.” (p. {6}) We would add disease as that is on our minds right now. But she sees “glimmers of end-times perfection” breaking through. Where do we see that right now? If I’m thinking about perfection, I like best a definition of what it means to “be perfect” as God is perfect; that definition involves loving as God loves with all the mercy, compassion, and grace that I associate with the Greek work agape, unconditional love. I do see that breaking through right now in the ways people are finding to care for and encourage one another. I see kingdom compassion in those who are going to work every day yet at hospitals and grocery stories and delivery services and elsewhere to meet our needs in spite of the dangers to their own health. I see it in the emergency responder Adam Hamilton interviewed who is going out on 911 calls expecting to get sick himself or the grocery deli manager working overtime to keep her shelves stocked and attractively tidy so those coming for food would feel encouraged. I see the kingdom breaking through in the stories of Italians singing to each other from their balconies or the hearts in our windows. I see the kingdom breaking through in signs to thank hospital staff and those sewing masks. I see the kingdom of God breaking through when neighbors check on my parents or a young man offered to bring something if I need it. I see the kingdom of God breaking through when churches offer worship in new ways, or I learn to do Bible study online. With every act of kindness, and every time we choose not to give up, the kingdom of God is at hand.
Gooder says, “Belief in the resurrection is an act of rebellion against the evil, corruption and oppression that can so easily swamp us.” (p. {7}) Let’s add that belief in the resurrection stands up to the chaos and grief and overwhelming desperation of our times. Belief in the resurrection still admits the great loss, but trusts that somehow God will bring our world beyond this time. The world will survive and learn and grow and be restored.
Our Old Testament reading today is a reminder that God’s people have gone through other desperate times. The New Living Translation subtitles Jeremiah 31, “Hope for Restoration.” Those in exile in Babylon, those who escaped back to Egypt, and the remnant in Judah all needed to hang onto that hope, that one day God would restore the land and bring their people home. I want to hear some of those promises right now for us as much as they needed them back then, “Those who survive the … destruction will find blessings even in the barren land, for I will give rest to the people.” I want to hear God say again, “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. I will rebuild you. You will again be happy.” (Jer. 31:1-4) In part, what Jesus’ resurrection means to me, is that God is at work to continue keeping those promises, that restoration was not just for the exiles in the Old Testament; it’s also for a world wearied by pandemic today. I believe restoration is the ongoing work of God and that resurrection is part of that promise.
The Psalmist also echoes this theme. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” (Psalm 118:1) Christ is risen indeed, because God’s steadfast love endures forever. Therefore, not only on Easter but every day we dare proclaim, “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” As an Easter people, we don’t rejoice, because the day is good, or everything went as planned. We dare to say it, because God is good, and we choose to shout that back at the circumstances that threaten to undo us. Faith in the resurrection doesn’t mean life will be rosy. You can’t get to Easter without going through Good Friday; you don’t get to a resurrection without experiencing death. Resurrection faith is in spite of the dark days. Resurrection faith refuses to give up on the life God gives.
Colossians 3 tells us to live focused on the things of God, not giving in to the temptations of the world, to live a new life in Christ. It’s not about the here-after, it’s about the here and now. The King James Study Bible describes it this way, “not only have the Colossian believers been freed from sin, they have also turned to a new life, leaving behind old ways, habits, values, vices, interests, and sins.” That is also true for us. It is about “the attainment of Christian maturity, and all the spiritual benefits God has for His people during their days on earth.” (KJV Study Bible Notes for Colossians 3:1)
When Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus laid Jesus in the tomb, and it was sealed, all who loved and followed Jesus thought their world had come to an end. All their hopes and dreams for a new life drained away from them. It wasn’t just their personal futures, but what they wanted for their families, communities, nation, their people. The women came to the tomb to complete a respectful burial, to do one more thing for this teacher they had loved and helped. What they found was not what they expected; Jesus’ body was gone, and an angel told them he had risen from the dead. They were to go and share that message with the rest of the disciples. Matthew says, “They were very frightened but also filled with great joy.” (Matthew 28:8b) Their mixed emotions make sense to me!
As we continue through the days ahead, there will be more pain and loss. We are not over this pandemic yet. But I hope that even as you are aware of the statistics, the hospitals, and the graves, I hope you will also have your eyes open for signs of God’s love breaking through and that you will be that sign of God’s love to someone else who really needs to see it. Like the women, you will have mixed emotions, but may you also be able to carry encouragement to others. May your resurrection faith sustain you as we await restoration. May you be filled with Easter hope! May the resurrection of Christ make a difference in how you live today and every day.
AFFIRMATION Apostle’s Creed, Ecumenical Version
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
PRAYERS
*THE LORD'S PRAYER
Sending
*CHARGE & BLESSING
Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the
Holy Spirit, be with you now and always. Amen.
Messages this season are based on This Risen Existence by Paula Gooder.
For the Easter Season video will be available of Kolleen leading worship, reading scripture, and sharing a message based on the resurrection passages throughout the New Testament, based on the devotional book This Risen Existence by Paula Gooder. Thanks to our tech, Mike, for setting up recording and editing to video
Video
Gathering
Welcome to our online worship for Easter 2020. Today’s liturgy comes from One Great Hour of Sharing Worship Resources written for PC(USA) by Rev. Chip Hardwick.
WORDS OF WORSHIP
This is the day the LORD has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Do not be afraid; Jesus was crucified but he is now risen.
He is risen indeed!
In Jesus Christ God has loved us with an everlasting love.
God has continued to be faithful to us. Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed!
Let us worship our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
GATHERING PRAYER (adapted from Jeremiah 31:1-4)
O Lord, you are God of all Israel, and God over all the earth. You have shown us
grace in the hope of our risen Savior. You appeared to us when we were yet far
away, and you have loved us with an everlasting love. We will dance and sing
because of our love for you—the One who repairs the breach, and who calls us
to serve at the side of your risen Son our Lord, Jesus Christ, in whose name we
pray. Amen.
CONFESSION AND PARDON (adapted from Psalm 118)
With the psalmist, we pray that God would open the gates of righteousness to us--
gates that we cannot open ourselves. We can only enter through them with Christ’s
forgiveness. Let us confess our sins now, with confidence in the grace of our Triune
God.
Lord Jesus Christ, you have risen from the dead and given us the gift of
new life. Forgive us for living as if we had no hope. We struggle to leave
behind our limited perspectives and our dogged despair. Slow us down
today, that we would be resurrection people who know and share your
Easter joy throughout the world. Once again, send us your forgiving Spirit,
who brought you back from the dead and who strengthens us to serve you
in the world you love so much. Wipe away our sin, risen Lord, out of your
great love for us. Amen.
The Lord is our strength and our might; God has become our salvation.
You have answered us and have become our Savior.
The great good news of the gospel is that our sin is forgiven!
This is the Lord’s doing: it is marvelous in our eyes.
Thanks be to God!
Word
May the peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
May we hear once again in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments that God offers us hope for restoration even in the midst of adversity, and may we be reminded in the Easter Story the Good News that Christ our Lord has conquered both sin and death so that we might live free. Amen.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS
Scripture Readings
First Reading: Jeremiah 31:1-6, NLT
31 “In that day,” says the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people. 2 This is what the Lord says:
“Those who survive the coming destruction
will find blessings even in the barren land,
for I will give rest to the people of Israel.”
3 Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
4 I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel.
You will again be happy
and dance merrily with your tambourines.
5 Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria
and eat from your own gardens there.
6 The day will come when watchmen will shout
from the hill country of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem
to worship the Lord our God.’”
Psalter: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24, NLT
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Let all Israel repeat:
“His faithful love endures forever.”
14 The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.
15 Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly.
The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!
16 The strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph.
The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!
17 I will not die; instead, I will live
to tell what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has punished me severely,
but he did not let me die.
19 Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,
and I will go in and thank the Lord.
20 These gates lead to the presence of the Lord,
and the godly enter there.
21 I thank you for answering my prayer
and giving me victory!
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing,
and it is wonderful to see.
24 This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-4, GW
3 Since you were brought back to life with Christ, focus on the things that are above—where Christ holds the highest position. 2 Keep your mind on things above, not on worldly things. 3 You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 Christ is your life. When he appears, then you, too, will appear with him in glory.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 28:1-10, NLT
28 Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.
2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.
5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7 And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”
8 The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. 9 And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”
This is the word of the Lord, Thanks be to God!
SERMON Resurrection and the Hope of Restoration
In a recent online worship service, Adam Hamilton said what has been on my mind preparing for the Easter season, that this year the world needs Easter more than ever. The God Sighting Gals and I agreed on Palm Sunday that it feels very strange to have Holy Week without going to church. It feels strange to be planning for Easter Worship without lilies or music. But it is a reminder that the message of Easter is more important than the decorations. Even in the midst of worldwide isolation and social distancing, the message and hope of the resurrection is still valid, but we need to find something within it that applies to our here and now. I think more than ever it is important to find a message in Easter that isn’t just about what one author called life after life after death. We need a message of restoration for this life on this earth in this time as well as the hope of resurrection beyond the grave.
Through the Great Fifty Days of the Easter season to Pentecost, I’m going to be basing the weekly message on a devotional book by Paula Gooder, This Risen Existence which looks at the Easter story as told by each of the gospels, in the letters, and then the stories of Ascension and Pentecost. In the Introduction she writes of the resurrection, “On the simplest of levels Jesus’ resurrection is straightforward good news – Jesus was dead; now he is alive…but there is more to it than even that. Jesus’ resurrection points us to a new way of looking at the world, a new way of being that changes who we are and how we live in the world.” (p. {2}) I think that is even more true this year as COVID-19 has forced us to think about new ways of doing things, new ways of living. What does it mean to live a resurrection life in the midst of that?
We are accustomed to paralleling the new life of Spring with Easter. Green grass, flowers beginning to bloom, buds on the trees, animals from chicks to butterflies. I can still see grass, trees, birds, and squirrels from my window. A rabbit and I watched each other in the backyard one night. Gooder suggests the newness “gives us a sense of hope, of life beyond the grim realities of the everyday, of a future.” (p. {3}) I know I especially need that this year. I couldn’t wait to get past the gray days to sunshine and past the snow that won’t let go; I needed to see the robins return and hear the birds through open windows or while sitting in my backyard.
But beyond that treasured symbolism of butterflies and Easter lilies, Gooder reminds her readers that Jesus’ resurrection is more than that. It is even more than other Bible stories of people raised from death. This year’s flowers will fade and wilt. Lazarus was brought back to life, but eventually he would die again. Yet “Jesus rose to new life and will never die again.” (p. {3}) That’s a big difference, but I never really thought much about it before. Gooder goes on to say, “Jesus rose not to the same life – as Lazarus did – but to a different life in which death no longer features.” (p. {4})
Some Jews in Jesus’ day did believe in resurrection at a future time when God would raise the dead and usher in a time of prosperity and peace. (p. {5}) You can imagine that those in Jesus day living under Roman domination certainly looked forward to this. We get the hint that Martha believed this in her conversation with Jesus after her brother, Lazarus’ death in John 11. In verse 24, she says “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” This anticipates an end-times and new era. Gooder speculates that Jesus’ resurrection confused the disciples, because they were also looking for a last days’ resurrection for those who had died. They may have wondered why only Jesus was raised if “For them the ‘something more’ of Jesus’ resurrection was the belief that the end times had already started.” (p. {5}) Gooder adds that “The end times had begun, but not in their entirety; new creation sprang forth but still waited for fulfillment.” (p. {5}) This fits with my understanding of the Kingdom of God that is here now in part but not yet complete. Part of my take on the kingdom is that we are to live it now daily even as we look toward that fulfillment. I think this is akin to Gooder’s concept of living the resurrection here and now.
For Gooder and for us, “the world is as it always was with wars, heartache, poverty and oppressions.” (p. {6}) We would add disease as that is on our minds right now. But she sees “glimmers of end-times perfection” breaking through. Where do we see that right now? If I’m thinking about perfection, I like best a definition of what it means to “be perfect” as God is perfect; that definition involves loving as God loves with all the mercy, compassion, and grace that I associate with the Greek work agape, unconditional love. I do see that breaking through right now in the ways people are finding to care for and encourage one another. I see kingdom compassion in those who are going to work every day yet at hospitals and grocery stories and delivery services and elsewhere to meet our needs in spite of the dangers to their own health. I see it in the emergency responder Adam Hamilton interviewed who is going out on 911 calls expecting to get sick himself or the grocery deli manager working overtime to keep her shelves stocked and attractively tidy so those coming for food would feel encouraged. I see the kingdom breaking through in the stories of Italians singing to each other from their balconies or the hearts in our windows. I see the kingdom breaking through in signs to thank hospital staff and those sewing masks. I see the kingdom of God breaking through when neighbors check on my parents or a young man offered to bring something if I need it. I see the kingdom of God breaking through when churches offer worship in new ways, or I learn to do Bible study online. With every act of kindness, and every time we choose not to give up, the kingdom of God is at hand.
Gooder says, “Belief in the resurrection is an act of rebellion against the evil, corruption and oppression that can so easily swamp us.” (p. {7}) Let’s add that belief in the resurrection stands up to the chaos and grief and overwhelming desperation of our times. Belief in the resurrection still admits the great loss, but trusts that somehow God will bring our world beyond this time. The world will survive and learn and grow and be restored.
Our Old Testament reading today is a reminder that God’s people have gone through other desperate times. The New Living Translation subtitles Jeremiah 31, “Hope for Restoration.” Those in exile in Babylon, those who escaped back to Egypt, and the remnant in Judah all needed to hang onto that hope, that one day God would restore the land and bring their people home. I want to hear some of those promises right now for us as much as they needed them back then, “Those who survive the … destruction will find blessings even in the barren land, for I will give rest to the people.” I want to hear God say again, “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. I will rebuild you. You will again be happy.” (Jer. 31:1-4) In part, what Jesus’ resurrection means to me, is that God is at work to continue keeping those promises, that restoration was not just for the exiles in the Old Testament; it’s also for a world wearied by pandemic today. I believe restoration is the ongoing work of God and that resurrection is part of that promise.
The Psalmist also echoes this theme. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” (Psalm 118:1) Christ is risen indeed, because God’s steadfast love endures forever. Therefore, not only on Easter but every day we dare proclaim, “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” As an Easter people, we don’t rejoice, because the day is good, or everything went as planned. We dare to say it, because God is good, and we choose to shout that back at the circumstances that threaten to undo us. Faith in the resurrection doesn’t mean life will be rosy. You can’t get to Easter without going through Good Friday; you don’t get to a resurrection without experiencing death. Resurrection faith is in spite of the dark days. Resurrection faith refuses to give up on the life God gives.
Colossians 3 tells us to live focused on the things of God, not giving in to the temptations of the world, to live a new life in Christ. It’s not about the here-after, it’s about the here and now. The King James Study Bible describes it this way, “not only have the Colossian believers been freed from sin, they have also turned to a new life, leaving behind old ways, habits, values, vices, interests, and sins.” That is also true for us. It is about “the attainment of Christian maturity, and all the spiritual benefits God has for His people during their days on earth.” (KJV Study Bible Notes for Colossians 3:1)
When Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus laid Jesus in the tomb, and it was sealed, all who loved and followed Jesus thought their world had come to an end. All their hopes and dreams for a new life drained away from them. It wasn’t just their personal futures, but what they wanted for their families, communities, nation, their people. The women came to the tomb to complete a respectful burial, to do one more thing for this teacher they had loved and helped. What they found was not what they expected; Jesus’ body was gone, and an angel told them he had risen from the dead. They were to go and share that message with the rest of the disciples. Matthew says, “They were very frightened but also filled with great joy.” (Matthew 28:8b) Their mixed emotions make sense to me!
As we continue through the days ahead, there will be more pain and loss. We are not over this pandemic yet. But I hope that even as you are aware of the statistics, the hospitals, and the graves, I hope you will also have your eyes open for signs of God’s love breaking through and that you will be that sign of God’s love to someone else who really needs to see it. Like the women, you will have mixed emotions, but may you also be able to carry encouragement to others. May your resurrection faith sustain you as we await restoration. May you be filled with Easter hope! May the resurrection of Christ make a difference in how you live today and every day.
AFFIRMATION Apostle’s Creed, Ecumenical Version
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
PRAYERS
*THE LORD'S PRAYER
Sending
*CHARGE & BLESSING
Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the
Holy Spirit, be with you now and always. Amen.
Messages this season are based on This Risen Existence by Paula Gooder.
For the Easter Season video will be available of Kolleen leading worship, reading scripture, and sharing a message based on the resurrection passages throughout the New Testament, based on the devotional book This Risen Existence by Paula Gooder. Thanks to our tech, Mike, for setting up recording and editing to video
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