Dear Friends and Neighbours,

Happy Easter!

You may be wondering what all the fuss is about and asking yourself why do Christians get excited about someone who died on a cross.

It is a strange thing, but imagine if through the years you never celebrated a special anniversary or birthday…our lives are so much greyer without a cause to celebrate. Giving thanks and expressing our joy is a very human thing to do, just see how the crowds will gather to watch their favourite football or rugby team. I will be gathering with others to go and watch the cricket later in the summer and I hope that there will be great excitement and joy as I share in that experience with many others.

It is a fact that approximately 2025-30 years ago there was a man called Jesus who was crucified on a cross for subverting the status quo of fear and intimidation that represented the Roman Rule at the time. It is a fact that this man called Jesus was laid to rest in a tomb and that a heavy stone was closed over the place. It is a fact that guards were posted to ensure that Jesus’ body could not be taken away. And yet, on that first glorious Easter morn an incredible thing happened, Jesus’ body was not in the tomb! This fact caused great fear of recrimination to the guards yet they could not  fathom how Jesus’ body had escaped out of the enclosed space.

This event is recorded in several historical documents. We know that this is true. The bible is also an historical document and records the events that followed and how they affected the closest of Jesus’ followers at that time.

The women disciples were the first on scene, they could not believe their eyes, imagining some form of desecration, yet, what is recorded is that Jesus spoke to them!

At risk of being accused of fabrication, madness etc the women went and told the other followers that Jesus had risen. The male followers came and witnessed for themselves that the stone indeed had been rolled away and that Jesus’ shroud was folded neatly on the shelf. We call this a miracle. It is something we find hard to understand.

Jesus then appeared to them. Again, at great risk of losing their own lives, they told people what was going on. And the final pieces of the jigsaw that they had witnessed in the presence of Jesus came together so they knew without any doubt that Jesus is the Son of God and the Son of Man.

And this is why we celebrate today -to remember those first stories and witness accounts. To allow Jesus to be born in us again to give us hope and a cause worth living for.

We get excited and want to celebrate and, in keeping with the season, we give each other eggs to represent the new birth and new season of life and the power of the Holy Spirit flowing through us.

 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter1:3)

All are welcome to join the celebration, do come along to church where a warm welcome awaits you,

Grace and peace,
Caroline
 
Revd Caroline Husband
01726 337730
serving the Upper Fal Parishes of Grampound with Creed, Ladock (& Grampound Road), Probus,  St Erme,  St Michael Penkivel, Tresillian and Lamorran with Merther. 
Rest day: Friday. Emails received on Friday and Saturday are unlikely to be responded to until Monday.