Easter Sunday, April 1, 2018 (full size gallery)
Lectionary discussion for this Easter.
Easter Sunday, the culmination of Holy Week!
Easter celebrates the reality of Jesus’ resurrection in all its many aspects. Hope, Transformation, Evangelism and a new life.
We started out at the Sunrise Service at the Long’s House at 7:00am. It was a half an hour later than last year. The weather returned to overcast conditions two years ago in contrast to the sunny warmer with a gentle warm breeze last year. However, there was a nice glow of the sunrise along the river for much of the service. A gallery of the event is here
St. Peter’s had some key roles. Catherine preached. Nancy provided the welcome and Alex the opening prayer and Apostle’s Creed. Shiloh brought their band as they have in former years. The three ministers met after the service and planned a meeting to talk about security.
The sermon was based on the Road to Emmaus. The takeaway was this –
"But may we be reminded this morning that when the music has ended, when the last prayer is said, when the bulletins are recycled, when the chairs we are sitting on are gathered up and hauled away, when the table has been cleared, when we’ve shouted the last alleluia and when we have gone our separate ways, that God does not want us to treat one another as strangers or just casual acquaintances until this time next year when we gather to worship again. God has given us the gift of one another.
"So let’s make this the year of hospitality in Port Royal, the year to pay attention to one another, to listen to one another, to be intentional about walking the Way together, and to invite one another in to sit down together, and break bread together, to worship together, and to work together for God’s glory in this community—together."
The reception had as many egg dishes as you can imagine, donuts, and beverages. A wonderful time.
Godly Play was conducted based on the Paschal Candle and acting out the Resurrection story at the tomb.
Easter is a time of new growth. Our Japanese Magnolia opened this week
Easter is a time of celebration and that included music. Andy Cortez also had accompaniments written for the opening hymn "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" and the closing "The Day of Resurrection. The choir sang "O sons and daughters let us sing" at the offertory. The bulletin is here.
Celebration was apparent in the number of Easter bonnets that were worn.
We had 70 in attendance, an overflow helped by several families. The church was adorned with lilies. Charles contributed Calla lilies which we had outside.
The service opened with the lighting of the Paschal fire outside and procession inside. We will have the paschal candle until Pentecost.
The readings are here. There are two possible Gospel texts -John 20:1-18 or Mark 16:1-8
The sermon use the one from the Gospel of John. "Mary Magdalene, alone in the garden, is the first person to see our resurrected Lord, and she mistakes him for the gardener. But in a way, she’s exactly right. Jesus is the gardener. Jesus has taken all that went wrong in the garden of Eden and has made it right again. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the relationship between God and human beings has been restored and can grow again." The relationship between human beings and the earth itself has been healed through Jesus, buried in the earth for three days, and then being brought out by God into resurrection life and light."
"We’d all like to keep Jesus around, to do the gardening on this earth with us. But Jesus says to Mary, “Do not touch me.”
"The miracle of the resurrection is that time itself has started over. The new time has begun! Just as it was in the beginning, when the word was with God, the Word will be with God again. Jesus is ascending to the Father.
"In other words, in this new time that has begun with Jesus’ death and resurrection, the family relationship that was broken in the Garden of Eden has now been restored and healed.
"When Jesus appears to the rest of the disciples that evening he says to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. And he breathes on them and says to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
"Jesus gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to be with us, to give us peace, and not only peace, but the strength and courage to love God and to be God’s gardeners on this earth and in this world, and to do all of that with joy, because God has resurrected Jesus from the dead.
"And Jesus, as in the beginning, is with God, and God is continually bringing new life and light into all of creation, through Jesus, the Word."