He is STILL Risen!

02 Apr He is STILL Risen!

I trust you remembered when you got out of bed this morning that the Easter announcement is still true!

He is Risen! He is risen indeed!

I’m going to do all I can to help you remember that over these next few weeks in the season of Easter. Yes…Easter is a season just like Christmas is a season. You can’t put the good news of the incarnation at Christmas or the resurrection at Easter into a single Sunday & then box it up again until next year. Christmas lights & decorations, sure. Baskets & chocolate…maybe…but the living Jesus at work in our world is an “always & today” celebration. He lives in us in every moment of every day & is always working in us to bring yet another of our freidns or family members into the joy of life with him forever. He is risen! Always puts us to work in Christ’s mission to the world right at the tips of our fingers.

As we move into the Easter season…some other things to remember:

1. Zoom Bible Study Catch-up – we’ll spend some time going back over the Holy Week texts & especially the Resurrection one from Sunday.

Friday – 5th April 2024 @ 1:00 PM

Click the link to Join Zoom Meeting  —  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83006349720  —  Meeting ID: 830 0634 9720

2. Set your clocks BACK this Saturday night! Or…if you insist on showing up early for worship Sunday morning…please bring a coffee for me. 😉
3. Giving Beyond Ourselves this Sunday is for Compassion International…our community sponsorship of Nguna.
4. Church Picnic is also this Sunday. Bring some food to share & be ready to ride the mini-trains in the Botannic Gardens immediately following worship.
5. Speaking of Sundays in the Season of Easter…For the next 7 weeks we’re working through the book of Galatians in worship. Please read it through once or twice over the next two months. Galatians is 6 short chapters…probably what an average reader could handle in say an hour…Have a go as preparation for worship AND to hear what God has to say to you.

 

My daily Bible reading has me in Judges at the moment. In the flow of the story of God’s people, they have now moved into the land God promised them & are establishing themselves as a nation of 12 individual tribes. Joshua has finished the work God gave him & is now dead. The story then takes yet another sad turn? Judges 2:10 & 12 read, “After Joshua’s generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel…They abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the Lord.”

I’ve heard the old expression, “The church is only one generation from extinction.” I don’t believe that for a second. Christ has promised to sustain his church. He prunes & disciplines us, and certainly no particular congregation or denomination is promised perpetuity on earth, but the church is promised his presence & sent to further his mission until the day he returns.

However, having said that…I also know that any generation can give in to the siren’s call of idolatry & abandon the faith of their ancestors. Any generation is vulnerable to the work of the evil one to distract us from fullness of life in Christ & send us off pursuing any of the multitude of things that this world trusts to bring life, hope, satisfaction & joy but which only yield death. It also reminded me that we each have a responsibility to not only carry the good news of Christ geographically wherever we go to whoever we meet, but generationally…to actively seek relationships with those younger than ourselves so that they too get to know the Jesus who has already loved them to death & will raise them to life with him forever. I’m always on the lookout for the next generation…it’s tough to be young in today’s world…so much nonsense & clutter to life…so it’s up to us who have a few rings in our trunk to speak with wisdom, patience & most of all faith. Be encouraging. Be understanding. Be hopeful & joyous.

Before I go…THANK YOU!

As at Christmas, the Holy Week and Easter worship cycle requires enormous effort by many wonderful volunteers. We try not to be busy for busy-ness’ sake…but to use our life as a gathered community of disciples to honour God & share Christ’s goodness and saving love. Keep inviting your friends & family. You never know when the Spirit’s going to grab a heart & draw that person in. And please keep looking for ways you can be helping us on Sunday mornings. The more helpers we have the better our life grows!

Peace

John