From The Rector’s Desk

Easter Greetings!

Easter is a holy and sacred time in the life of the church. It is a time we remember the promises of scripture. It is a time to pray for God’s forgiveness and a time to recall the price Jesus paid to offer us salvation. You may be undertaking a spiritual adventure this Easter season. Perhaps even a search…a search for deeper meaning and purpose for your life in the midst of a world often filled with chaos, and confusion.

On Easter morning, Mary was on a similar adventure…indeed a search. It is fair to say that she was sad, anxious, grieving, and maybe even frightened. Mary had witnessed the crucifixion and now she was visiting the tomb. When she realized that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, she may have shouted, “they have taken my Lord”. As we approach the Easter season, some look at the church and say, “they have taken my church”. Things don’t always feel like they used to. Some have even wondered, is Jesus still in the church or have they taken Him away?

The truth is that Jesus is still very much in the church. He is alive and active in the lives of the faithful. On that first Easter morning, Mary realized that everything had changed…She went to get Simon Peter and the other disciples. She had big spiritual questions and concerns, and needed companions on this journey. In our search for a deeper faith, we need to be able to find a few trusted friends to share the journey with. It can be lonely when we are in a spiritual crisis as Mary was in those moments. We each come to our own conclusions about God and his Son, Jesus Christ. Indeed it is helpful to be able to share our thoughts and feelings about the journey, with others.

We all come to faith in different ways. It is not necessarily about where you came from or who you were with, or even what you have done, as long as you are moving towards the cross. That is what really matters. Each of us is on our own journey to Jesus. Some of us require a lot of evidence…others are quite intuitive. You are blessed with the many gifts that will help you discover the divine for the first time or renew your faith with a fresh anointing of Christ’s love for you. Perhaps, when you ask, you may be surrounded by those who have been sent to guide you to Christ.

One of the truly lovely moments in this Easter Gospel is when Mary thought Jesus was the gardener. This reminds us that Jesus often comes to us in disguise. As much as we are searching for him, he is also searching for us. Perhaps one of the key questions in the Gospel occurs when Jesus asks Mary, “who are you looking for?” I want you to consider the possibility that the Lord asks each and every one of us that question. There may well be a follow up question this Easter and it may be, “who is Jesus for me this Easter?” One author wrote, “it is very often true that a person searching for a meaningful Christian faith is seeking in the terms and images and language and concepts that he/she encountered years ago, often in childhood or youth. Now this faith looks different, and it is easy to come to the sad and sometimes angry and resentful conclusion that our Lord is no longer present”. Today there may be a new way to encounter Jesus. May you be blessed with a renewed encounter with Christ this Easter.

Sometimes we anticipate or dread the Easter season based on previous experiences. Perhaps a deliberate plan for the weekend may result in a healthier experience. Thanks to an old wise friend, I learned that a balance of family, friends, and faith result in a more enjoyable experience of Holy Week and Easter.

Let me address the possibility that some people may spend this Easter alone. If at all possible I invite you to worship during this Holy Week. There is a kind, warm, and faithful community that is waiting for your arrival. If that is impossible, I would be honoured to come and visit you during the Easter season. Please call so we can arrange some time together.

Blessings in this most priceless season

The Rev. Canon Dr. Stephen Hendry

(Based on the Gospel reading from John 20:1-18)