Easter Day

EASTER DAY—THE FIFTH ANOINTING Easter Greeting Alleluia! Christ is risen. Christ is risen, indeed. Alleluia! Almighty God, who through your only-begotten One, the Christ, overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Anointed One's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through your Beloved One, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Colossians 3 (selected verses) Since you’ve been resurrected with Christ, set your heart on what pertains to higher realms, where Christ is seated at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things of earth. After all, you died, and now your life is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ—who is your life—is revealed, you too will be revealed with Christ in glory. So put to death everything in you that belongs to your old nature: promiscuity, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same thing as idolatry. Therefore, because you are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with heartfelt compassion, with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive whatever grievances you have against one another—forgive in the same way God has forgiven you. Above all else, put on love, which binds the rest together and makes them perfect. Let Christ’s peace reign in your hearts since, as members of one body, you have been called to that peace. Dedicate yourselves to thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ, rich as it is, dwell in you. Prayer Almighty God, Resurrecting One, you have said "no" to death. and "yes" to life. May our life be in you and your redeeming love. Help us to say "yes" to all things that are of justice and peace. Help us to say "no" to all things that harm and abuse. We pray that our Easter will be known in each day and that our lives will always be a healing and blessed presence in this world. For we long to be our true selves and to fulfill our purpose for life, here and now. Blessed are you and blessed is your Kin-Dom, forevermore. Amen. Mark 16. 1-8 When the Sabbath was over, Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought perfumed oils so that they could anoint Jesus. Very early, just after sunrise on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb. They were saying to one another, “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked, they found that the huge stone had been rolled back. On entering the tomb, they saw a young person sitting at the right, dressed in a white robe. They were very frightened, but the youth reassured them: “Do not be amazed! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, the One who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. Now go and tell the disciples and Peter, ‘Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee, where you will see him just as he told you.’” They made their way out and fled from the tomb bewildered and trembling, but they said nothing to anyone because they were so afraid. +++ They came to the tomb to anoint. Instead, they were anointed in the love and life of the resurrection. Alleluia! Christ is risen. Alleluia! +++ Mary Magdalene, Mary Mother of Jesus, and Salome Resurrection Prayer Christ our life, You are alive - in the beauty of the earth in the mystery of time and space. Alleluia! You are alive - in the tenderness of touch in the heartbeat of intimacy in the insights of solitude. Alleluia! You are alive - in the creative possibility of the dullest conversation of the dreariest task the most threatening event. Alleluia! You are alive - to offer re-creation to every unhealed hurt to every deadened place to every damaged heart. Alleluia! Therefore we choose life. The dance of resurrection soars and surges through the whole creation, This is grace, dying we live. So let us live. in the rhythm of the seasons Christ our life, Christ our life, Christ our life, You set before us a great choice. —Kathy Galloway Ephesians 3. 20, 21 Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to God, from generation to generation in the Church, and in God's Anointed One, for ever and ever. Amen.