Good morning all! Today is Easter! He is risen! Today is also my last devotional of the season for a bit. Thank you so much for journeying with me this year!
Today’s scripture:Mark 16:1-8 (NRSV)
When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
While yesterday was silent, today is as loud as can be because new life is everywhere! Today we shout with joy and get to sing Hallelujah again! Today we put on our best selves because we know death cannot win. Today we mix our emotions and are amazed at where God meets us.
One of my favorite memories of growing up in the church and Easter was singing a few songs. First of all, I loved singing “Up from the Grave He Arose” because my brothers and my mom and I would hunch down and then sing at the top of our lungs while jumping up, “UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE!!!!” We would sing as loud as possible and jump higher and higher while standing in the front row because that was our pew. Then at the end of the service, the church I grew up in, would come together, hold hands around the sanctuary and sing “Every Morning is Easter Morning.” The song continues to say that every day is a day of new life (“every day’s resurrection day the past is over and gone.”) The song was so joyous and sent us out ready for the epic Easter season.
The Easter season is just beginning. We have 50 days of glorious Easter in which we can’t help ourselves but look around and see new life abundant in every nook and cranny. At the McMinnville church we are kicking off a new season of just that today. We will be looking at all the places God shows up in the world. We have been pruning back and now its time to look up and around to breathe and see where God has been this entire time.
So enjoy the day. Take a breath. Say Hallelujah loudly and jump up with Resurrection! May you have a blessed Easter!
Peace,
Court
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