Easter 2020 Takeaways
Celebrating Easter during the Covid-19 pandemic has been tough. With so many supports, activities, freedoms etc. having been temporarily taken away, many of us have been grieving in one form or another. Easter is all about seeing resurrection power unleashed in our lives. Here are some of the truths we have encountered that help us understand how Easter triumphs over our circumstances.
Go Tell Everyone Jesus Has Risen from The Dead!
We rise with Jesus and receive new life.
We no longer need second chances. God is already smiling down on us.
Disappointments and doubts are part of growing our Faith
Connecting with God, Connecting with Believers, Connecting with the Resurrection; are all ways we overcome disappointment and doubts.
We are in desperate need of a good shepherd.
Followers of Jesus are not displaying blind faith… but deep trust built on knowing that Jesus loves us.
In times of trauma and grief … trust the voice of Jesus. Jesus tells us:
- Don’t look out for yourself
- Use what God has given you to help those who are most vulnerable
- Spread hope and Good News, not fear.
Jesus is the example of how to love beyond our means.
Jesus is the example of how to be loved beyond the deficiencies of this world.
When you feel lost, set your sights on Jesus. Though we may not find all the answers and quick fixes we are looking for, we do find God!
Lament Goes with Promise. Lament is our honest response to the difficult circumstances around us. Promise is God’s answer. We take our Laments and our Faith; we intertwine them together and attach them to God’s promises.
Jesus’ response to the disciples Lament is to give us three promises
- I will not leave you orphaned.
- I will give you an Advocate.
- Because I live, you will live also.
Resurrection doesn’t mean going “back to normal” but journeying forward into new life.
Unity means we have been made one with the Triune God and with one another – we are one Body.
Unity doesn’t mean sameness – in fact, our differences build our unity when we remember what we are one in: one faith, one body, one mission, one God.