Church Secretary: Kathleen Siertsema - 519-565-2854                                                      [email protected]

Dear Friends

I am always struggling with my weight. I have been on and off diets all my life. Easter can be an especially hard time for me, because there are always lots of yummy chocolate eggs and lots of delicious chocolate bunnies. And I LOVE chocolate! But this year I have been doing just a little better. So this Easter, when Richard and our son John come downstairs to check out the Easter candy that has been left for them on the dining room table, they will get a wonderful surprise. This morning, for the first time ever, they will discover that chocolate Easter bunnies come with ears!

Easter of course is not really about chocolate bunnies, ears or no ears. Easter is about new life and about hope; it’s about the empty tomb discovered by Jesus’ earliest followers on that first Easter morn and the hope and joy it brought them, knowing that Christ had risen. The God who seemed to remain silent on Good Friday was having the final word. What God was doing in raising Jesus from the dead was not just an extraordinary miracle. It was the beginning of something new.

You will recall from Matthew’s Gospel that when the women went to visit Jesus’ tomb, they were greeted by an angel. The messenger (angel simply means ‘messenger’) told them to go at once and tell all Jesus’ followers that he had been raised from the dead and that he was going on ahead of them to Galilee where they were asked to meet him. There they would receive their commission.

This is something we too often overlook. In our efforts to ‘prove’ the resurrection, we forget that resurrection is about commissioning. The disciples who see the risen Jesus receive an important commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

The point is that now that Jesus’ followers have seen the Risen Lord, life can no longer be the same. The resurrection changes everything. Now they are called to a new work, a new way of life, a new way of loving, modeled on Jesus’ own sacrificial love. So also for us. Resurrection means prioritizing the needs of others and trusting that God’s grace will be sufficient to enable us to live with love and respect for others, including all creation. This means first of all a life of service, loving one another as Jesus loves us, prioritizing the needs of others and extending kindness and respect to all people everywhere. This means working to eradicate injustice wherever and however we encounter it, providing for those who are hungry and without safe shelter. It means seeking to make the world a better place, while practising ways to nurture and deepen our relationship with God in Christ.

Make no mistake, friends. The resurrection did happen. I believe that with my whole heart. But now the important question is the very same one which faced the early disciples. How will we take up our cross and live out the Easter faith? In other words, now that the resurrection has happened, what are you and I going to do about it? Will it be the same this Easter as it has been every year? You know, listening to the beautiful music, enjoying the Easter dinner or some delicious hot cross buns or yummy chocolate eggs, and admiring the lovely, scented Easter lilies. Or will we take up our Lord’s challenge, meet him in Galilee and receive his commission to serve others? 

You see, the Easter story is not complete without you and me. So let’s make our way to Galilee, for there we will find the Risen Christ!

Happy Easter, friends!

Blessings

Sheila

How to support the work of St. Andrew's United Church

If you would like to make a donation to St. Andrew's United Church in Bayfield, you may do so at Canada Helps.  Simply click on the button below to make your donation.

You can ensure that your community of faith and those who are helped through Mission and Service can count on your support by giving monthly through Pre-Authorized Remittance (PAR). Through an automatic monthly withdrawal from your bank account, PAR allows you to give to what matters to you most.

If you would like to set up PAR, simply download and fill out this form and submit it to Kathleen at the Church Office.