easter sunday

Opening Prayer: Power of Love, shining through the risen Jesus, radiantly shine in the dark places of my pain.  Let their power to infect me be broken and drawn into your heart. (Feed My Shepherds by Flora Slosson Wuellner)

Scripture: John 20:1-18

Journal:  What new life is rising in you this Easter Sunday?

Reflection:

     easter by Jim Branch

the silence was deafening
that early morning as she stood,
gripped by a love that would not release her
everyone else was gone
back to their homes and their families

“how could they forget so quickly?” she thought
as she stood in the first light of dawn,
tears streaming down her cheeks
“did they not feel it too…the love?”
“if they did, how could they leave?”

her heart would not allow her to go
so she stayed—as near to him as she knew how
was she waiting?
was she hoping?
or was she simply doing the only thing she could—
to be near the place he was last near
she would rather be near him than anyone or anything
so she stayed…and cried
longing to hear her name from his lips once more

and then suddenly the voice…it startled her
looking through the tears she could not see who it was

“have you seen him?” she asked
“do you know where he is?”

it wasn’t until he uttered her name
that she recognized his voice
and at its sweet sound
everything in her was raised to life again
it was easter you see…and he had risen
and because of that
so had she

Prayer

Closing Prayer: O God, who by your One and only Son has overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life; grant, we pray, that those who have been redeemed by his passion may rejoice in his resurrection, through the same Christ our Lord.  Amen. ~Gelasian Sacramentary