Happy Easter 2021 from the Vicarage.
Some Easter faith incidents from last week give me some pointers to reflect with you all on the breadth and depth of our wonderful Easter faith.
Easter - It is known across the world.
Wow that was a quick reply on email, normally you can get used to waiting for a reply. Not so from the amazing Bishop Stanley of Tanzania. Prompted by some church family members I offered our prayers and good wishes for his people and ministry during the politically turbulent times in their country at the moment. The rapid reply with its customary African warmth and zeal for the faith was staggering. Isn’t the world a small place and isn’t the faith we hold so dear shared throughout the world?
Easter is not one of God’s bloopers!
No mistakes here. The resurrection happened; it is real and thankfully God did not make a mistake- even if on the Friday we call Good it looked at the time like it was dark and a hopeless failure. Even the disciples ran away and dispersed and Jesus’s nearest and dearest were grief struck. Easter day came and it is and was all true. Jesus is Alive. No mistakes here. There is a round of social media fun of outtakes and bloopers. I typically thought this would pass me by until last week at night prayer when the camera lens recorded the whole event with Jesus (a tasteful picture of the incarnation so I thought) standing on his head!!! Well at least I thought we as a Church are meant to turn the world upside down, but I was not sure about turning our Lord on his head! Oh dear – mistakes happen and of course the prayers continued and seemed to be appreciated. The life and death of Christ was not a mistake it was part of God’s amazing plan revealed to prove to the world that God is here and Christ is alive and with us forever more. May our many mistakes remind us of God’s gracious victory.
Easter values all work in Jesus’s name
At the conclusion of Paul’s magnificent reflection upon the Easter Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15 he declares “Therefore let nothing move you, always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord knowing that your labour is not in vain.”
I visited an elderly gentleman with one of the new ASE greetings cards for his birthday. So good to hear of how many Churches he had spoken at throughout the Diocese (over a hundred). I was laughingly put in my place with how many Vicars he had seen come and go. Sometimes it is hard to record the legacy of love and prayers as year succeeds to year but make no mistake the worldwide Christian Church rolls out its faith in Christ against all the odds of our many and varied human mistakes. Someone might never know the part you play but it will be recorded by the Lord himself who sees what is done in His name – and that will never be in vain. May future generations be grateful for the work we do in our community to live and declare the wonderful Easter faith in the Risen Son of God.
Yours In Christ
Mark