Preacher: Canon Graham
Date: 12/04/2020
Easter Day 2020 Cirencester.
May what I say and what you hear be to the Glory of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Alleluia Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia!
Happy Easter to you all on this glorious Easter Day. Celebrating with you in a very different way, and though celebrating, missing you all like mad, how I long to see each of you taking your places in the setting of the church building. But this is how it needs to be for the time being and we sincerely thank those who have made it possible for us to share our Eucharist in this way.
Together we have journeyed since the 19th March in making contact through the daily reflections, the timely bulletins and the special services throughout Holy Week.
We have reached incredible numbers of people who have connections with this parish in Australia, Orlando, New York, Malta, Dublin, London, Wolverhampton, the Isle of Wight and the Bahamas.
To all of you watching we say ‘Happy Easter’ from the parishioners of Cirencester.
The familiar words of the Gospel that Rosemary has read to us this morning speak to the heart of what it means to be a pilgrim church, travelling together exploring what it means to be God’s church in this new context.
Mary’s words in vs 18 ring in my heart.
“I have seen the Lord”
Throughout this period of Lent and Holy Week we have needed to lift ourselves from our comfort zones, and explore new and exciting ways of being the church. In so doing we have had to let go of some of the familiar things around us, indeed we have had to let go of some of the things that perhaps we take for granted.
In so doing I trust and hope that we have come closer to a better understanding of what our faith and discipleship really means to us, uncluttered from all the church mania around us. In freeing ourselves of this we perhaps are better placed to truly to become God’s Easter People as we journey together spiritually and pastorally despite the constraints that CVD-19 has placed upon us.
Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved running to the tomb, taken aback at the sight that unfolded before them, seeing the linen wrappings lying there, could these wrappings perhaps epitomise the earthly vestiges that perhaps weigh us down on our journey.
Because we have been locked out of our church buildings, that doesn’t lock us out of being the church in today’s context. In fact it has rather served to strengthen our resolve to succeed at being the living church, emerging in all of its glory. Alleluia Christ is risen we shout…. Alleluia indeed, the Easter people have found a new integrity, the Easter people are indeed a pilgrim people, a people on the move discovering in each and every age and generation new ways of being church, why? Because God’s spirit is set within our hearts, and we are set on fire for him as we proclaim the triumph of his rising from the dead.
Death has no more dominion over us, we live in the light of the Glorious resurrection hope. That hope becomes our reality and sets us free to be his people where we are, at the heart of our community.
So Happy Easter Cirencester, the church of God is still here with and for you, and for everyone. It’s not just in Cirencester for that matter….
We now go to the Bahamas to receive a greeting from Desiree an ordinand on placement with us from the Diocese of the Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands.
Dee’s offering can be found on the website under Easter Day liturgy from the Parish.
So… where ever you are, rejoice with us in this great day of celebration as we proclaim the day of Resurrection….
To quote Sydney Carter….They cut me down and I leapt up high, I am the life that’ll never, never die; I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me; I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.
Let us rejoice along with Mary and all the Disciples as we proclaim to one and all
“We have seen the Lord. Amen”
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!