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Thursday 12 April 2012

Dawn

Easter Sunday. We sit, chairs positioned on the dew laden grass, in a cool Australian autumn morning. The lightning sky holds promise of another fine day. Above, the towering eucalypts are alive with the sound of squawking lorikeets.
Our pastors gently strum chords on their guitars and in harmony of sound and spirit we welcome this new day, so symbolic of our new existence in our risen Saviour. We wait for the sun to gently tip over the edge of the surrounding mountain range, flooding our little grassy churchyard with its warmth and brilliant light.

“emptied Himself of all but love
and died for Adam’s helpless race”

As we sing the familiar strains of Charles Wesley’s beautiful hymn, “And Can it Be” the Spirit really prompts my attention to these two lines in particular. So often we see things in focus or in a different way through the Holy Spirit.

I look around at my brothers and sisters in Christ.
We are a group of frail, fallen people. We are helpless in sin. Adam and Eve sinned and through them, humanity was cursed. The sins of the fathers were visited on the sons. (Exodus 20:5). The legacy of sin was bequeathed to their children and their children’s children. Every person ever born on this earth has needed a Saviour. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
We cannot undo the things we have done, or unspeak the words we have said. So often we are blinded to our own faults and sinfulness. While we live in human form, we will struggle in the flesh to become more like Christ.
God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).
We remember all You have given Lord. We thank You that Your death was not the end. Today we celebrate the fact that You conquered death and rose again. You are the living, risen Christ who reigns on high. You make a way for us to be in right relationship with our Heavenly Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three in one, blessed Trinity.

Easter morning. The Son has risen.

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