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Between Sundays for Week of April 21, 2025

What does Easter sound like? At Bethlehem on Sunday, the sounds included organ, trumpet, bells, strings, and voices all raised in joyous praise of the Risen Christ!

In the story of the first Easter morning in John’s gospel, the scene that unfolds has more chaos and confusion than joyous sound. When the initial scene has passed, the disciples have returned to their homes  and Mary is left alone outside the tomb, grieving and in tears.

For any of us who mark this Easter season carrying heavy burdens or confused about what this story really means for our lives beyond church, John’s account of the first Easter morning is especially for us. The tomb may be empty, but our present reality can still feel an awful lot like the same wilderness we find ourselves in each day.

But that is not the end of the story. When Easter finally comes for Mary, it comes at the sound of her name spoken by a man she thought was a stranger, but who turned out to be her teacher – Jesus – risen from the tomb!

There’s something about hearing the risen Christ speak her name that changes Mary’s experience that early morning. In that moment she realizes she’s not alone and abandoned. She doesn’t need to escape her grief or find the nearest exit ramp, she can remain in this place knowing now that the risen Christ is with her.

When Jesus sends Mary Magdalene to go and tell the others, she is charged with bringing his presence to Simon Peter, and the other disciple, and all of us who find ourselves in any wilderness.

Mary’s task is ours as well! Not to tear out the weeds and the bramble of the wilderness places where we find ourselves, but to be with one another and speak the names of the ones around us to remind them – and us – that the risen Christ is in whatever wilderness place remains in our life! Our hope lies not in our escape, but in the presence of the risen Christ whose empty tomb shows us the sprouts of new life – God’s new heaven and earth – have already been planted in this present moment!

Christ is risen!

Christ is risen, indeed! Alleulia!

P.S. In the meantime, you can view our festive Easter Sunday worship service via YouTube or watch the most recent Sunday worship service on our website. From there find links to previous worship videos available on Facebook and YouTube.

Faith Connection at Home

Here is a Faith 5 devotion for this week, celebrating Easter. Christ is risen!
Share: Where was a place that you saw Love alive today or this week? Where was a place where you saw that Love was needed today or this week?
Read: Luke 24: 1-12  But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen. 6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be handed over to the hands of sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise again.” 8 Then they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.
Talk: Why were the women afraid? What is scary about being a Christian? After their encounter with the angel, the women went and told the Good News to the disciples. Who is someone you would tell the Good News about Jesus’s resurrection? Why that person?
Pray: Jesus, fill us with Easter energy as we rise up to tell the world about you! Amen
Bless:  +You are made alive in Christ+

Patty Chaffee

Family Faith Formation Coordinator

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Ponderings

In her Easter message, Bishop Eaton recalls the story of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with a powerful, pungent substance used to offset the stench of death. But the substance also signified royalty. We discover the promise of Easter in Mary’s act. “Instead of removing the stench of death, the substance anointed a royal king. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the usual cycle of life and death has been disrupted forever. Jesus’ death and resurrection promises new life and brings us new life.”