Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Our Lenten journey is over. During these 40 days we focused on drawing closer to God. We considered what it means to be a child of God and contemplated ways to deepen our relationship with God by living out our Baptismal calling.

We travelled into Jerusalem with Jesus on Palm Sunday while waving palm branches and singing his praises. “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Mt 21:9) We travelled to the upper room on Maundy Thursday with Jesus and his disciples. It is on this night we heard Jesus utter the words we hear each time we come to the table for Holy Communion, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins”.

We traveled to the foot of the cross on Good Friday and experienced the devastation as Jesus uttered that lonely cry of defeat, isolation and desertion, “My God, my god, why have you forsaken me” (Mk 15:34)? We heard the words of finality as Jesus took his last breath, “It is finished” (Jn 19:30), as he paid the ultimate price for the Sin that separates each of us from God.

And we traveled to the empty tomb with the group of women who went there early on the first day of the week to lovingly prepare his body properly for burial only to find the tomb empty. We remember the words of the angels at the empty tomb, “He is not here, he is risen” (Lk 24:6).

Our Lenten journey culminated on the Day of Resurrection, Easter Sunday. We celebrated this amazing and joyous day, singing Alleluia and announcing that, “Christ is Risen!”.

Now what should we do?  This is not the end . . . this is the beginning!

So, where do we go after we leave the empty tomb? Think about the disciples who returned to their vocations and lived every day in the joy of the resurrection. We too are every day witnesses to and participants in the resurrection of Jesus. We are baptized and believe. We carry the hope of eternal life. We have the light of Christ within us.

Like the women at the empty tomb and the disciples, we have vocations that God has gifted to us. While we may not be fishermen, we have one or more of these callings: father, mother, husband, wife, son, brother, daughter, sister, grandparent, neighbor, and friend. Each of these comes with a set of duties and responsibilities. As Christians in thanksgiving for the God’s grace, we are called every day to carry out the duties and responsibilities of our vocations sharing the joy, love, peace and forgiveness of Christ.

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.

Just as I have loved you, you should love one another.

John 14:34

Peace and blessings, 

Pastor Stephanie

A Prayer for the Journey . . .

Gracious and loving God,

We give you thanks for sending Jesus, your only Son to live among us, to be a servant leader, to show love and compassion to those on the fringes and to die on the cross so that our sins might be forgiven. Send us forth empowered by the Holy Spirit lively and dwelling within us to witness every day to the joy of the resurrection. As new life blooms in spring, may our new life as forgiven children of God blossom and flourish through sharing love, grace, and mercy with our neighbors following the example of Christ.

All these things we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Amen