Come whatever may

God will have his way

Welcome, Easter Day!

Alleluia, Alleluia

I hope you remembered to put your clocks forward on Easter Day or you will miss most of the service. Spring is coming, we hope, lighter nights and all the chocolate you can eat, if you gave this up for Lent…if you didn’t you can still eat chocolate but only in moderation.

The hymn After darkness, light (STF 292) is in the section of hymns under the heading Jesus Christ: Risen and Ascended. The 4th verse of the hymn (words above) is rarely sung, but the words are as important to us now as when they were first written. We too need to remember that indeed, God will have his way…even when the troubles of this world are all around us. Yet for us, who are Easter people, Halleluia!  Resurrection and renewal are all around us, if we care to look – in springtime, in regeneration, in healing, in forgiveness.

The events of the first Easter Day transformed history and our world, but it was infinitely more than an event in history. As the first disciples soon realised, the Risen Jesus is not confined by time or place.

As Easter people, we know his risen presence with us today and an assurance as well as the hope that brings peace; not least in a world where there is so much darkness. We know that for others Easter may not bring joy. Many of our friends in other parts of the world may be worshiping in secret or in fear of attack. How blessed are we that we can worship in safety! Our prayer, this Easter, must be that those who are suffering or are afraid will know that they are remembered by God and experience that reassurance of peace and hope. That God will have his way ….

Through Jesus’ resurrection, love has conquered hate, hope has prevailed over despair and life has triumphed over death.

What a challenge to us, as Jesus' followers, to take that message to all peoples everywhere and to serve our Risen Lord through our service to others in a suffering world, a world crying out for justice and peace.

Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Message from Rev Ann Anderson