HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY 2020

Happy Resurrection Day 2020

Happy Resurrection Day 2020 to all of my friends and family. This will be an Easter Sunday we will all remember for a long time.

I do not know of a time when churches were closed across the country on Easter Day. At least not in my lifetime. But here we are, all dressed up with nowhere to go. (or maybe we are still in our PJs)

A Different World

I’ve seen so many Facebook posts that talk about how we went to bed in one world and woke up to a different world. They got me to thinking about our crisis and its true, this really happened.

I’ve seen several examples of how life changed and I will share some of them here. (I would love to give credit to those that wrote these words, but after researching, I have not been able to find original authors.)

We woke up and suddenly this…

Disney is out of magic
Paris is no longer romantic
New York doesn’t stand up anymore
the Chinese wall is no longer a fortress
and Mecca is empty
hugs and kisses have become weapons
NOT visiting family and friends becomes an act of love
power, beauty, and money are worthless
humans are locked down, caged in our homes
and churches are closed

And it was all true. Our law enforcement and health workers are overwhelmed. There are shortages of medical equipment, and masks. There are not enough supplies to work with. No visiting sick family in hospitals. Not even funerals for lost loved ones. The despair is heartbreaking.

Gloom and Doom

It looks like there is nothing but gloom and doom around us. Isolation, loneliness and fear are standing at our doors begging us to be consumed while we try to make some sort of sense of it all.

Church

Our church buildings are closed. Doors have been locked and windows have been shuttered. But churches all over the country have found new ways to spread the Good News and you can see examples of some, here.

We are prevented from gathering together in our churches with friends and family, but we are reminded that the Good News that made this day holy, has not changed. We are not alone. Everything that was true about the Gospel pre-Covid-19, is still true.

We ARE the church and can (and should) worship even when we are outside our buildings. I am not suggesting that we should always do “church” at home, but during this time of crisis, we can be assured that God still hears our prayers and cares about our needs. We are still free to sing, and dance and praise and pray.

I love this song, and it rings true for today and every day, no matter what the circumstances look like.

Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled

Let not your hearts be troubled, my friends. God is still in control. Jesus is still with us, we are not alone. He loves us and is our friend. He came to free us, and He did. The chains of death have fallen off and could not contain Jesus. And we are free.

This storm will pass. The crisis will end. Jesus is our hope.

The tomb is empty!