Easter Sunday | Sunday, 17 April 2022

---

          Happy Easter to all. 
 
Easter Morning, April 17, 2022
As I sit at my desk thinking about Easter 2022, my first thoughts go to the people of Ukraine.  I wonder, what will be the meaning of Easter for them this year?  In the midst of so much unnecessary destruction and annihilation of so many cities – places people called home, places where children would be hunting the famous Ukrainian Easter eggs, places that were full of joy and laughter, places where families (now separated) gathered – in the midst of so much fear and death, how does one even begin to reflect on the resurrection of Jesus? I wonder – are the churches in Ukraine even able to hold services this Easter?  How many of those church buildings have been destroyed?  I pray for the pastors and wonder what message of hope they might be able to bring this year? I confess that I struggle to have any answer.  I confess that I am not able to pray for Putin who represents pure evil.  I confess that this Easter has a cloud which will give way to the rising sun for Christ out Lord is Risen!
An Easter Opening
“At the break of dawn, a bird sings. The long night of darkness is over. The stone is rolled away.  The tomb is empty. The sun begins to shine. The Son has risen! It's a morning of glory, of love overcoming death, of women spreading Good News, of men turning from despair to hope. It's a morning of joy, for Easter has come again. Hope is reborn, love is stronger than death, and we lift our voices in song.”
 
An Easter Prayer:
“Christ is risen; our loads are lifted, and the path is cleared! Light rises over us as Jesus overcomes darkness and death. We need not struggle alone, pushing through pain, stumbling on sin and trying to walk life's way unaided. Lent is over, Easter has come, and our road is new. We are forgiven; Jesus leads the way! Thank you, O God! Amen.”
 
An Easter Affirmation:
“We believe in the risen Christ. Like the disciples who were amazed at what they saw, so are we amazed at what we experience. We see the face of Christ in children's smiles, in the eyes of our families. We hear the voice of Christ in the stillness of a clear night, in the way our friends call our name, in the song that brings tears to our eyes. We know the touch of Christ in every warm embrace. We taste the presence of Christ in bread that is blessed, broken and shared. We feel the power of Christ in standing up to injustice, in reaching out to help another, in building strong communities of welcome and support. We feel the love of Christ when another wipes away our tears, takes us by the hand and leads us through the valleys and shadows to a new place.
We believe the risen Christ. We know the risen Christ. We are blessed.”
 
An Easter Blessing:
“May alleluias ring from shore to shore.
May trumpets echo from mountain to mountain.
May every heart know that Christ is risen.
And may you never be afraid,
for Christ has triumphed over the grave.”