What a wonderful Easter Day we had at Church this year: fabulous spring flowers beautifully decorating our lovely historic church; Joyful celebrations in the morning; and a very excited gathering on Easter Sunday evening for our service of Confirmation.
It was great to welcome Bishop Geoff as our Confirming Bishop, to have a packed church and, most especially of all, to see the vibrant faces of the sixteen young people and adults who were being Confirmed – a real highlight for all of us present and a launch pad for those taking a step of faith in Jesus Christ.
And what was also very special to witness was the resolve of those being Confirmed to continue in their faith – to live out their belief in the risen Lord Jesus – which is what Easter has always been about. Yes, we have a very special day in church; but more than that – as Christians, we believe that Jesus journeys on with us throughout our life’s adventures – guiding, challenging and reassuring us through all that lies ahead.
Inevitably in life we have problems and difficulties – things that go well and things that go badly; things that we expect and things that come at us out of the blue. And when life is hard, confusing or disorientating, the Easter story continues to be vital to our wellbeing and attitude.
Jesus’ resurrection gives us hope – not only for life after death but also for the shaking up of this world and the imperative of renewal; Jesus’ resurrection means that forgiveness is possible for all those times when we let others down; And Jesus’ resurrection crucially means that we are never alone but will always have the Spirit of Jesus Christ with us to inspire us on and to help us when we struggle.
So Happy Easter to one and all: Alleluia – Christ is risen – and He goes ahead of us to meet us on the way.
Peter Chantry
