Wednesday April 29, 2020

Mark 16:1-8

1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

Today, I want to share words from Pastor David’s Easter message as they are an inspiring reflection on what the Resurrection means for us.

“Easter is God’s answer to every question in your life. Easter is God’s answer to every hurt, every sorrow, every moment of suffering or pain… whatever circumstances you are in, whatever experiences you have had, whatever challenges in your past, whatever you may be contending with now or in the future… Easter is God’s answer to every question we might ask…

Easter is God’s declaration… Sorrow may last through the night but joy will come in the morning…Resurrection means that the worst thing in life is never the last thing in life.

Here’s how Pastor Shea often says it, ‘God’s promise to his people is that everything will be alright in the end, so if it’s not alright in your life, know that it isn’t yet the end.’ The promise of faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life is that nothing can stop Easter in your life. If you will receive it, it will always break through. Nothing can stop it. Nothing can stand in its way. There is nothing in all of creation that can stand in it’s way.

Final thing is this. The challenge of Easter isn’t whether or not you believe that something really happened after Jesus was really dead. The challenge of Easter is whether or not you are willing to put your whole trust in the God who shattered all expectations and delivered creation’s greatest surprise, the God who raised the dead, the God who is now calling you into deeper relationship with him and this day and every day inviting you into a whole new way of life found only in him. It’s about placing all your trust, all your hope, all your faith in the only one who is worthy of each of those parts of yourselves. If Easter is to mean anything in your life, it demands to mean everything in your life… which also also means that if Easter does not mean everything… then it ceases to really mean anything to us in our life.”

Morning Prayer from Saint Patrick

    I arise today
Through the sength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.

    I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me;
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s hosts to save me
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.

    Christ shield me today
Against wounding
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

    I arise today
Through the mighty strength
Of the Lord of creation.