Easter Reflections 2014

Easter Reflections

We had a "family service" this Easter at Bath Church of the New Jerusalem.  That means instead of a sermon, I had created a children's talk, which I do from notes.

The only child in the church this year was an adorable baby girl, under one year old.

So we had Kylie's mother bring her forward, and I pretended she could respond to my questions.  

Well she grinned away, chewing on her pacifier, as happy as could be, representing renewal and new life and joy far better than any words I could have put together.  Just her presence was the best Easter sermon ever. 

My cousin, Amanda Rogers Petro, posted this reflection on Facebook, and granted me permission to share it with you:

"I often identify with Mary Magdalene, who stands there talking to the risen Jesus, but doesn't recognize him because she's been looking for somebody dead. Love keeps happening, and it's always alive. I sometimes miss the Divine because I'm looking for it in the tomb of my own limited ideas about where it should be and what it should look like.

What if the risen Christ is alive in every living being, in every space, in all time? What if everything, everything is overflowing with holiness?"

Exactly.

What if we realize that the Risen Christ is everywhere, and it is we that cannot recognize this Divine Love due to our limited sight and understanding?

The following song expresses the joy we feel when we recognize the Divine Love, ALIVE and Present in our lives, when we thought all was lost.

This is a whole bunch of Swedenborgians performing this Easter song written by Swedenborgian scholar and amazing musician Rev Dr. Jonathan Rose (at the keyboards). I am related to a good half of these singers. This is my roots. A Happy and Joyful Easter one and all!

And finally, here are the readings and notes from Sunday.  May you find something nourishing within. 

Easter “children’s” talk, note form.

What is today?

Why is it special?

Have you ever had anything die or be ruined?

What sorts of things can die?

In “Princess Bride,” Wesley died.  Except he was just “mostly” dead. Not all the way dead.

He was able to come back to life.

In “Heaven Can Wait,” a new “angel” took Joe’s soul before he got hit by a car. But Joe wasn't going to have died, and wasn't supposed to be dead yet.  So he came back in someone else’s body. Because he looked and sounded so different, it took a while for his friends and family to realize it was still him.

There are lots of stories about those who loved Jesus best not recognizing him after He rose from the dead.

Nothing that is good ever really dies.  Ever.  The external trappings go away, all the time.  And sometimes, well, LOTS of times, it feels like that person or pet or thing we loved will never be seen again.  And that is very sad.  It feels terrible.

But nothing created by God—nothing made out of love, can ever cease to exist.  It may change form or shape, and we may have trouble recognizing it at first, and it may be a LONG time before we realize we have it again, but every good thing we love will come back. EVERYTHING.

It might not look like what we expect, but our hearts will recognize it.

Our hearts will “burn within us” even if our eyes and minds are slow to understand.

That is one of the biggest and best messages of Easter.  Nothing that is God-With-Us can ever die.  Ever.

from Heavenly Secrets aka Arcana Caelestia by Emanuel Swedenborg, 

paragraph number 5114:4 (a paraphrase)

In the case of human beings, the Divine Love flows into and inhabits our inmost being. We can accept this Love and make it our own it by acknowledging it and loving this Divine in return.  What is eternal and infinite dwells within a person’s soul, not simply because it flows in but because we welcome it in return.  Indeed, because every human being has this Divine implanted within, one’s internal, or soul, or truest self can never die. 

John 11: 25-26

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. 

John 20:11 – 18  

But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. ¹² And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.¹³ Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

¹⁴ Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”

She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).

¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’”

¹⁸ Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

Psalm 30 NKJV

I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up,

And have not let my foes rejoice over me.

² O Lord my God, I cried out to You,

And You have healed me.

³ O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave;

You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. 

⁴ Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His,

And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.

⁵ For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life;

Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning. 

⁶ Now in my prosperity I said,

“I shall never be moved.”

⁷ Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong;

You hid Your face, and I was troubled. 

⁸ I cried out to You, O Lord;

And to the Lord I made supplication:

⁹ “What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit?

Will the dust praise You?  Will it declare Your truth?

¹⁰ Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me;

Lord, be my helper!” 

¹¹ You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

¹² To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

A Blessed and Joyful Easter season to you all,
Rev Alison Longstaff