Beloved of God, Christ is risen! Alleluia!
This Easter, as on every Easter, we celebrate the resurrection hope that is at the center of our Faith. We celebrate love triumphant over hate, joy over despair, and courage over fear.
In the words of one of my favorite Easter hymns, “Now the Green Blade Riseth”:
When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
Jesus’ touch can call us back to life again.
Indeed, in his resurrection from the dead, Jesus reminds us that even when hope is fleeting, even when we cannot see it, God is at work within us and among us, tending seeds of new life and hope!
On Easter Sunday, we join with Episcopalians around the world in praying this beautiful collect:
O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy:
Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection.
Easter invites us into that joyous life, a life renewed, restored, and rooted in resurrection hope. May the risen Christ fill you with hope, renew your spirit, and guide you in paths of peace and love this day and every day.
Friends, the Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
The Rt. Rev'd Julia E. Whitworth
Bishop Diocesan