An Easter Reflection

An Easter Reflection

Opening Hymn - Jesus Christ is Risen Today sung by OCP Session Choir

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Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us; therefore let us keep the feast. 1 Corinthians 5:7-8

Collect from the BAS:

Lord of life and power,

through the mighty resurrection of your Son,

you have overcome the old order of sin and death

and have made all things new in him.

May we, being dead to sin

and alive to you in Jesus Christ,

reign with him in glory,

who with you and the holy Spirit is alive,

one God now and for ever.

Amen.

Earlier in the year, the Anglican Journal published an article about the church having an end date. It spoke about declining membership and attendance, fewer people giving money to the church, and a declining interest in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and church-based weddings and funerals.

It appears the general opinion is that people are no longer looking for a church to which to belong, resulting in a conclusion that God is becoming irrelevant and spirituality an antiquated way of dealing with life.

The onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic has physically shut the doors of churches around the world, seemingly bringing to fruition the end of the church two decades earlier than predicted. As March turned into April and isolation continued on with no end in sight, the weight of celebrating Holy Week without church services darkened the mood of all believers.

On the surface, it seemed as if the church was on its own march from Gethsemane to Jerusalem, being put on trial for all the world to see, demands being placed on it to prove its worthiness and importance.

But as Christ bore the weight of the cross on his shoulders, so have the people of the church.

As Christ moved forward despite all opportunity to simply give up and give in to despair, so have the people of the church moved forward with courage.

What I have witnessed in the last few weeks is the people of the church showing the world their faithfulness, their spirituality, and their willingness to find new ways to not only gather together but to spread the Gospel.

Instead of the church fizzling out during these strange times of isolation, the church has grown stronger.

Those who were faithful church-goers but have had to stop for any number of reasons, can now once again worship with others through the mediums of the internet and social media.

Those who had walked away from the church have found renewed faith and spirituality, seeing all of us coming together in goal of loving each other as Jesus loved us.

As we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, let us also celebrate the resurrection of the church as a whole.

On an Easter Sunday where churches will be empty instead of being full of life and joyful music, may we celebrate the renewal of our faith in God and in Christ, that by self-isolating out of love for each other we show more of Christ’s love than any Easter Sunday worship could ever reveal.

We can take strength in the knowledge that when we do worship together once again, we will do as per Jeremiah and have a joyful return of the exiles, shaking our tambourines, dancing like merrymakers, and embracing each other in the love of Christ.

Easter Preface (partial) from the BAS:

Blessed are you, gracious God,

creator of heaven and earth;

we give you thanks and praise

for the glorious resurrection of your Son

Jesus Christ our Lord;

for he is the true paschal lamb

who has taken away the sin of the world.

By his death he destroyed death,

and by his rising to life again

he has won for us eternal life.

Amen.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Closing Hymn - Was it a Morning Like This by Jim Croegaert, performed by Steve Bell

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