Matthew 28:5-8
But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
The sanctuary is prepared
to greet another Easter dawn
The white cloths
The flowers
All is quiet
Just waiting on the congregation to arrive
And the service to get underway
So that we can proclaim
Christ is risen
He is risen indeed!
Those who utter those words of life
utter them with varying levels of conviction
with varying levels of need.
For some, there is no hesitation
Words spoken with joy
For others, they are spoken through gritted teeth
The grit of hope
The hope that God enters
all the tombs that feature in our lives
However we greet this Easter dawn
in sorrow or in triumph
the Risen Christ meets us
and goes ahead of us
fulfilling our hopes
fulfilling our need
Affirming time after time
that love is stronger than death
And in every darkness
God walks beside us
breathing life.
Christ is risen
He is risen indeed.
Hi Liz, I'm a RevGal from the USA and I've just been reading through the Kindle version of the new "Woman in the Pulpit" book. I'm loving it! As I read your piece, "Learning in the Shipyard," I was reminded of this song by Susan Werner. It's called "Barbed Wire Boys" and it may be one of the most perfect songs ever written, it's so well crafted and dense. I thought you might like to hear it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbbgsOqgVF4
ReplyDeleteI like the original recorded (peppier) version a bit better, but it's still a gem here.
Thanks for sharing your piece in the book - happy writing and Happy Easter!
Deborah (deborahlewis.net)
Love that song - thanks for posting link. I too have been reading Kindle version. I'm loving it. Thank you too - Ash Wednesday always moves me to tears. You describe it so well.
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