Living Easter Faith

Living Easter Faith
Although Christmas gets a lot more hype and is more popular in the world, and even in the church, it’s this week, Holy Week, that’s actually at the centre of our Christian faith. We journey with Jesus:
from a parade to a stumbling walk to the cross
from Hosannas to Crucify him
from adulation, to a bitter-sweet last supper with friends, to betrayal and
denial from the power of the world to the power of God.
The story resonates for us in its familiarity not only to us as Christians, but as humans. Hypocrisy, pain, confusion, betrayal and injustice are part of human life. These experiences were Jesus’ but are also our own. The story tells a truth we know.
As Christians, we have a perspective on the world that is both unique and communal. Part of our task is to interpret human experience through the lens of faith and hope. The United Church, as a denomination, has constantly sought to be relevant to our contemporary Canadian context. We have spoken with passion and compassion for justice and truth. Sometimes we have done a better job of that denominationally than locally.
The United Church of Canada is revising its governance structure (just as we are at Forest Hill). The Comprehensive Review Task Group has just released its report, “United In God’s Work” which can be found at:
http://www.gc42.ca/comprehensive-review-report
or by following the links on the United Church’s website:
http://www.united-church.ca/
This proposal for restructuring will go to the 42nd General Council this summer in Newfoundland. A great deal more responsibility for how we are Church will be held by local communities of faith. Education, evangelism, stewardship, mission and outreach will be up to us, whereas in the past the wider church did much of these on our behalf. We will need to get better at share the Christian story with relevance and compassion.
As we again walk the journey from Palm Sunday to Maundy Thursday, from Good Friday to Easter, I invite you to participate. Come to church for the services. Reflect on the promise through Jesus that God is with us, even when we are afraid, or feel alone, or face death. Living fully through Holy Week gives Easter deeper meaning and renewed impact. Experiencing Holy Week helps us explore what our faith means for our lives and discover how we might share it more profoundly with our neighbours.
Happy Easter!
Pegi
We are witnesses to all that Jesus did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day. (Acts 10: 39 – 40)