They all yelled out: ”Crucify him!” believing they had the final word…… but, they did NOT.

God gives the final verdict, and God’s verdict is:

“HE SHALL LIVE”

We celebrate the highest Season of the Church year: Easter! Alleluia! Christ is Risen.

We celebrate not one or 12 days, but, 50 days of Easter! Have a good time celebrating! These are the days to rejoice and be glad! Wipe away your tears and the tears from your loved ones faces because Christ is Risen with forgiveness of sins and new faith, new hope and new life!

Do you see the Risen Christ? There are signs everywhere just look with newborn eyes.

Lets begin with the sign of the Risen Christ on that very first day. Mary Magdelene went in the dark to her Lord’s grave. She was in a dark place of deep grief for the loss of her Lord. Her pain was raw and she was heading for his grave believing it was her only connection left to him. But, upon her arrival she discovers that his tomb was empty and she weeps deeper tears of loss, for now, even his body is gone.

This first scene of the paschal mystery is one of Mary weeping, then shock and amazement. The Gardener appears to her. The Risen Christ appears to her: the Gardener. The Gardener!! He calls her by name and she recognizes him. Why the gardener? And then I ask, why not! Why not the Gardener! Jesus the Gardener symbolizes the ultimate sower of the seeds of life. She recognized the Risen Christ as he lovingly and gently called her name and the seeds Jesus had sown in her very soul sprouted! She immediately recognizes everything her Lord and mentor revealed to her and the disciples before. She hears and then sees that familiar loving voice. She sees the Gardener, she remembers his message by way of the novo mandatum - remember the novo mandatum? The new commandment Jesus gave to all of them on his last night with them all together: love and serve one another as I have loved and served you. The Gardener sowed the seeds in Mary and they sprouted in recognition and remembrance. Alleluia, The Risen Lord appeared to Mary!

There are so many signs of the Our Risen Lord all around us today.

The easiest sign, that we take for granted, yet fill us with a light heart, and joy, are the sound of music and the first signs of spring. In the very essence of Spring you are seeing the renewal of life, and the spirit of the Risen Lord. Spring after all is God’s creation being rejuvenated into new life sprouting from deep within the dark ground. Warm and brilliant rays of sunshine, God energy if you will, are pouring out of the sky and giving life to the seeds in the ground. What a beautiful outward sign of the inward life giving essence of God.

Let’s move from the sign of life bursting out of the ground, to the signs of joy bursting forth in song. On Easter Sunday you heard again the gift of music. I hope you paid very close attention to the beautiful sound and words that came to life as Gary played the organ and Erin and Kelly sang a duet of the Hymn of Promise by Natalie Sleeth. Did'nt this music express the miracle and joy of Easter? Did you hear the song; listen to the meaning of the words: God alone knows and reveals in Gods time the mysteries of new life that will capture us unaware and take our breath away. There’s a song in every silence — there’s a dawn in every darkness — from the past will come the future and out of death new life will be.

In the heart of the Risen Christ in our very souls we can know that there is new life, new light, new hope, new dreams new ministries, new missions for us today. There are new born babies, new crocuses, new daffodils, new recoveries from illness and addiction. There are new baptisms, graduations, weddings, and the good in these are the expression of the living God. Restoration from brokenness, forgiveness of sins and life out of death is God’s gift to us. God’s activity in the world shows us the Risen Christ, first to the women and men disciples of Jesus’ and next to each generation that follows. How can our faith not be restored?

The power, and the glory of the Risen Christ rings out all over the globe today and has for millenniums. I pray that your faith, hope and love will be inspired by the Risen Christ alive and well in our community of faith. I pray that as you walk out into your world each morning you will go with newborn eyes to see with and find the Risen Christ in your midst for when you see, you will be shocked and amazed too.

A Blessed Easter Season to you.