09 April 2009
Methodist President's message of hope for Easter
In his Easter message the Revd Stephen Poxon, President of the
Methodist Conference, speaks of the emotions of Easter and a hope
that never dies.
The full text follows:
"Life is full of thrills…..some come unexpectedly whilst others we
go looking for, perhaps on the latest ride at the theme park or fun
fair….the thrill of being thrown around, often uncontrollably,
stomach wrenching and cries of laughter or fear! Yet sadly these
are also the emotions for many of us at the moment in our daily
living and it isn't quite the thrill we were looking for! We are
caught in a recession that is beginning to bite and almost none of
us are immune. It evokes feelings of fear and uncertainty, worry
and concern within us. We continue to be aware of the unfolding
events in Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka with continuing
natural disasters around the world and all of this against the
backdrop of the recent G20 meeting here. So what has Easter to say
to the world and our nations? What is the good news we are called
to offer?
"The emotions of that first Easter morning are exactly the same as
many of us are experiencing now. The women and disciples came to
the tomb feeling empty, a sense of desolation, all their hopes
gone….and they find the stone rolled away, the body gone, the tomb
empty. This is surely how many people are feeling today. Through
the loss of a loved one, worry over a parent with Alzheimer's;
concern over finances or employment…a deep sense of loss, of
emptiness. Yet is the tomb empty? There is a message: 'he is not
here, he has risen' and the women are filled with wonder and
excitement - their emptiness is replaced by hope……
"A woman from Brazil shared with me long ago that 'the last thing
to die is hope' …and as I have travelled this year I have
discovered, no matter how dark a situation, wherever there has been
hope people have been alive to change and new life. Church people
have shown me projects that have come about because they never
stopped hoping and I witnessed exactly this at the opening of the
new church in Weymouth a couple of weeks ago. 7 years after the
original church was burnt down, after just finishing its
refurbishment, there was a real sense of loss and emptiness - they
never let their hope die and it was a tremendous privilege to share
in celebrating their new life.
"As the disciples and women approached the garden that early Easter
morning I'm certain they were frightened. This was intensified as
they heard the message that Jesus had risen and was alive. A
mixture of excitement and fear, what could it all mean?
"We live among a people who are frightened. Fear of the recession,
fear of terrorism, fear of growing old, fear of speaking out for
justice, fear of…
"As Jesus meets and greets people that first Easter his first words
again and again are : 'don't be afraid' or 'Peace be with you' for
it is only when He breaks through our fear can we see and receive
the love He offers us….and then there is only joy. It's this
mixture of emotions I felt whilst watching Wales play England at
the Millennium Stadium during my district visit to Wales…wanting
Wales to win but the game so close and the fear building up within
me and most in the stadium…and as the final whistle blew the
eruption of joy…In some ways the fear stopped me enjoying the game
to the full and this is perhaps where many of us are in our living
- the fears and worries of everyday life are stopping us enjoying
fully being alive. The message of Easter is that Christ comes to
break through our fear that we might know the joy of life….of being
alive and in relationships with others and enjoying all that God
provides.
"Easter eggs will abound once again this festive season and I still
don't know the answer as to whether it was the chicken or the egg
which came first. Whilst in Wales I preached at a small village
chapel in Carew and here is one of the most historic Celtic crosses
in our islands. In the Celtic design where is the beginning and the
end? We are sometimes guilty of celebrating Easter Sunday as the
end, the culmination of Lent and Holy Week. 'Christ is risen.
Hallelujah!' And what happens next? The stories in the gospels tell
us that those who encountered the living Christ couldn't keep it to
themselves and couldn't wait to tell others. So we celebrate that
Easter is not only an ending but a beginning.
"Life for us all is a journey of endings and beginnings. Our task
is to help lead people from their endings into new beginnings at
whatever age and stage of life they are.
"So the emotions of the first Easter are still very real in our
society today. The challenge for us is to know how we can offer the
hope, joy and new life that Jesus offers us all. One simple way is
to believe and live these emotions in our own life that others may
see the risen Christ living in us."
You can listen to Stephen's message on the Methodist Web Radio
page:
www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.content&cmid=1633