Good Friday/ Easter
Scripture - Romans 6:1-11 
Verse - Romans 6:4
By our baptism, then, we were indeed buried with him and shared his death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from death by the glorious power of the Father, so also we might live a new life
Title - From Death to Life
As we are encouraged to be socially isolated and become housebound to help in flattening the curve of COVID-19 and are equally encouraged to get outdoors lest we go off our rocker, I have sought to comply with both 'encouragements' and my outside activity has largely been jogging.
Let me tell you of one such jog when we were still able to walk and jog in the parks. For this jog on this particular day, it was cool, and overcast. a gloomy sort of day, and the bare trees and bushes of the park added to the gloominess - in short it had the atmosphere of the darkness of Good Friday as it was when Jesus was crucified as we read in Matthew 27:45 " At noon the whole country was covered with darkness, which lasted for three hours."
I felt this Good Friday gloominess, darkness and emptiness within me for most of the jog on this day and it probably showed itself with my heavy steps and the slowness of my pace. I felt the bitter atmosphere of Good Friday and very much identified with the tone of the following short verse.
GOOD FRIDAY
Gall is the taste of life when we Who live must bear our Calvary. On this day our Master died- Christ, our Lord, the Crucified. Upon the cross in agony He shed his blood for love of me. In every street, on every hill, The Heart that stopped is beating still. - Vincent Holme
As I said I felt this Good Friday gloom and darkness for most of my jog, but I kept on going despite a feeling of wanting to stop. The steps were heavy like bricks attached to my runners, the pace next to reverse and with my head down, when suddenly, I looked up - and there they were - six smaller 'very green' evergreen trees in a row - the gloom and doom of Good Friday darkness were wiped out by the lively cheerful brightness of these evergreen trees - From Good Friday to Easter!
Just as the angel spoke to the women who had gone to look at Jesus' tomb, I seemed to hear the angel's same words within me of Matthew 28:5 and 6 " You must not be afraid, I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; he has been raised, just as he said."
By our Baptism in Jesus, we share in His death (indeed as Paul says in Corinthians 1 Corinthians 15:31 - in Christ Jesus our Lord, we die every day!) but we also share in his Resurrection in the power of God who raised Jesus from Death to Life and is also the One who gives us new life in our Risen Lord.
In this COVID-19 'season' are you stuck in a Good Friday frame of mind or are you in the Easter way which assures you of new life even in and out of the depths of COVID-19?
By just lifting my head in my jog I went from Good Friday to Easter! From Calvary to Easter in just three days! Thanks be to God!
AN EASTER SONG
A song of sunshine through the rain, Of Spring across the snow; A balm to heal the hurts of pain, A peace surpassing woe. Lift up your heads, ye sorrowing ones, And be ye glad of heart, For Calvary and Easter Day, Earth's saddest day and gladdest day, Were just three days apart!
- Susan Coolidge
The Joy of Easter to you and yours,
Rev. Wayne