Easter Message from the Interim Moderator
Dear friends,
It is a tradition in our family to have an Easter egg hunt in our garden on Easter day. We hide a range of chocolate eggs, both large and small, throughout the garden and our two daughters, their husbands and the four grandchildren have to find them. Each egg has a name on it and if you find one that is not for you, you must not tell the others where it is. This can involve much fun and sometimes not a little frustration as someone cannot see their last egg, which is staring them in the face, especially when everyone else has spotted it! This tradition sadly will not happen this year, although we do have the bags of eggs for everyone. These will need to be distributed in an appropriate manner, avoiding actual contact.
So much will be different this year, but the Christian message of hope still remains. When Jesus was hanging on the cross, the passers-by ridiculed him. “Save yourself and come down from the cross,” they cried. He could have done, yet he did not come down from the cross and save himself; he stayed there and saved us instead. And then amazingly, God fulfilled his promise and raised Jesus from the dead.
We are surrounded by circumstances we cannot control, but we can control how we react. We can focus on the things we are thankful for. We can pray to God about the things that worry and scare us. God wants us to be honest and talk to him about the things on our minds and in our hearts. We can draw strength and reassurance from a God who knows and loves us.
And so, I want to share three things with you. These are all Bible passages I have pondered in recent days.
“I thank my God every time I remember you.” (Philippians 1:3)
Can you imagine the difference it would make if every time we thought about someone, we gave thanks to God for them? It can be so easy to take people for granted, but in times like these, it is so important to remember and to thank God for the people we have in our lives.
Relationships have never been more important than they are now when we find ourselves separated from our loved ones. Imagine the difference it would make to set aside time every day to remember the people in your life and thank God for them. But don’t just do that – give them a call or send a text or an email and let them know they matter.
However, sometimes, like now, we find it difficult to find the right words when we pray. But Paul had this to say…
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. (Romans 8:26-27)
The third passage is from Lamentations 3:57: “You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.”
In a time when we don’t know what each day will hold, it is easy to be stuck in fear and spend our days worrying about Coronavirus. So, let us remember this passage, and call on God, who will hear us, and tell us to not fear. Now, this is easier said than done, but it is something for each of us to work out. We are used to being able to push our fears aside by keeping busy, but now we are facing times when it is easy to run out of things to do because of the lockdown. Instead of hiding in fear, or allowing fear to drive our thoughts and actions, imagine what it would be like to call out to God, and hear those three words, “Do not fear!” May we hold onto these words and allow them to be what moves us in our actions in the coming days, instead of fear.
“I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth! He will not let you stumble and fall; the one who watches over you will not sleep. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and for ever.” (Psalm 121:1-3, 8 – NLT)
May God bless you all this Easter and keep you safe in his loving arms,
Derek.
It is a tradition in our family to have an Easter egg hunt in our garden on Easter day. We hide a range of chocolate eggs, both large and small, throughout the garden and our two daughters, their husbands and the four grandchildren have to find them. Each egg has a name on it and if you find one that is not for you, you must not tell the others where it is. This can involve much fun and sometimes not a little frustration as someone cannot see their last egg, which is staring them in the face, especially when everyone else has spotted it! This tradition sadly will not happen this year, although we do have the bags of eggs for everyone. These will need to be distributed in an appropriate manner, avoiding actual contact.
So much will be different this year, but the Christian message of hope still remains. When Jesus was hanging on the cross, the passers-by ridiculed him. “Save yourself and come down from the cross,” they cried. He could have done, yet he did not come down from the cross and save himself; he stayed there and saved us instead. And then amazingly, God fulfilled his promise and raised Jesus from the dead.
We are surrounded by circumstances we cannot control, but we can control how we react. We can focus on the things we are thankful for. We can pray to God about the things that worry and scare us. God wants us to be honest and talk to him about the things on our minds and in our hearts. We can draw strength and reassurance from a God who knows and loves us.
And so, I want to share three things with you. These are all Bible passages I have pondered in recent days.
“I thank my God every time I remember you.” (Philippians 1:3)
Can you imagine the difference it would make if every time we thought about someone, we gave thanks to God for them? It can be so easy to take people for granted, but in times like these, it is so important to remember and to thank God for the people we have in our lives.
Relationships have never been more important than they are now when we find ourselves separated from our loved ones. Imagine the difference it would make to set aside time every day to remember the people in your life and thank God for them. But don’t just do that – give them a call or send a text or an email and let them know they matter.
However, sometimes, like now, we find it difficult to find the right words when we pray. But Paul had this to say…
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. (Romans 8:26-27)
The third passage is from Lamentations 3:57: “You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.”
In a time when we don’t know what each day will hold, it is easy to be stuck in fear and spend our days worrying about Coronavirus. So, let us remember this passage, and call on God, who will hear us, and tell us to not fear. Now, this is easier said than done, but it is something for each of us to work out. We are used to being able to push our fears aside by keeping busy, but now we are facing times when it is easy to run out of things to do because of the lockdown. Instead of hiding in fear, or allowing fear to drive our thoughts and actions, imagine what it would be like to call out to God, and hear those three words, “Do not fear!” May we hold onto these words and allow them to be what moves us in our actions in the coming days, instead of fear.
“I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth! He will not let you stumble and fall; the one who watches over you will not sleep. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and for ever.” (Psalm 121:1-3, 8 – NLT)
May God bless you all this Easter and keep you safe in his loving arms,
Derek.
