“He is not here, but has risen.
Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee…”
—Luke 24:6
Dear family in Christ,
This Easter, I’ve been drawn to the power of that word: remember.
The Bible tells us that women came to the tomb, carrying spices to tend to Jesus’s lifeless body. Instead, they were met with a perplexing sight—the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, and there was no body. Then suddenly, two men in dazzling clothes appeared beside them, bearing startling good news—and a gentle reminder: “Remember how he told you…”
It wasn’t a new message they needed. It was a return to the truth they already knew.
And that act of remembering changed everything.
We live in a world with a growing loss of memory. Not just memory in the personal sense—like cognitive decline, long COVID, aging, or menopause. We also face a deep forgetting in our shared life. Culture fades when we lose the “why” behind tradition. History repeats itself when we forget its lessons. Violence, injustice, and division persist when we forget the humanity of our neighbour. Civilization suffers when we forget the importance of empathy. People lose their sense of worth, direction, and purpose when they forget who—and whose—they are.
But Easter is God’s great act of remembering.
In sending his Son, God remembered the promises.
In teaching us, Christ remembered God’s desires.
In dying for us,
Christ remembered his love for us over condemnation for our sins.
In raising Christ, God remembered us,
fulfilling promises made to us, to all generations.
In the risen Christ, we are remembered into new life.
We are not forgotten. We are not forsaken.
We are held in love that cannot be undone.
To remember Christ is not merely to feel nostalgia for what he once said or did—it is to recognize that his living presence calls us still. The first disciples remembered his words, and that memory changed their lives. They shared the story. They broke bread. They formed communities of compassion, justice, mercy, and joy.
And here we are, still remembering, still witnessing, still called.
Recently, I came across an image of stones painted with Christian symbols.
Simple. Earthy. Durable. And full of meaning. For example:
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- The Greek symbols—alpha and omega—remind us God is the beginning and the end.
- The cross reminds us Christ is our redeemer, who took on suffering and death for the sake of love.
- The open Bible calls to mind Christ as the Word made flesh, our teacher and guide who still speaks through Scripture and Spirit.
- The flame, the fire of the Holy Spirit, sent by the risen Christ to ignite faith and courage in us still.
- The candle reminds us Christ is the Light of the World—and the darkness cannot put it out.
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These stones don’t just teach; they testify. They remind us of who Christ is, and who we are because of him. In Joshua 4, the Israelites set stones at the edge of the Jordan River to mark God’s faithfulness and deliverance, so future generations would not forget. In 1 Peter 2, we are called “living stones,” being built into a spiritual house—joined together in Christ for God’s purposes in the world.
And how fitting that Christ’s own body was placed in a tomb hewn from rock. From that place of death, God raised him to new life—and in doing so, rolled away more than a stone. The barriers to hope, grace, and transformation were lifted too.
I invite you to journey with us in sacred remembrance. For example, you can draw nearer to Christ by accessing recordings of our Holy Week services, if you were not able to attend them live.
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- Palm Sunday at St. Paul’s led by Rev. Dr. Andrew Human
- Maundy Thursday at St. James Hanwell led by Rev. Wendy
- Good Friday at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church led by Rev.
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And this Sunday, Easter Sunday, let us come together in worship to celebrate with joy the resurrection of Christ, remembering that we belong to the Risen One who is present with us still.
Christ has risen from the dead!
He has risen indeed! Hallelujah!
Please note: A special coffee hour will take prior to worship at St. James. Join us at 10 a.m. for refreshments and fellowship.
St. James Presbyterian Church (Hanwell) (11 a.m.)
Led by Rev. Wendy
Scripture Reader: Rev. Dr. Basil Lowery
Sermon: “From Empty Tombs to Idle Tales: When God’s Truth is Called Babble”
Scripture Readings: From the Gospels – Luke 24: 1-12 and John 20: 11 – 18
The service will also be live-streamed at 11 a.m. on YouTube and Facebook.
If you feel moved to make a special Easter offering, special envelopes are available at church. E-givings can also be received at [email protected]. Your gifts support St. James ongoing ministry as we continue to witness to Christ’s love in our community and beyond. On that note, I would also like thank all who donated spring apparel and other articles of clothing as part of our Palm Sunday – Cloak our Neighbours with Compassion – mission. Your donations will be shared with The Fredericton Homeless Shelters.
May this season of resurrection stir in you a memory that is alive—not just in thought, but in practice. May you remember not only the story of Christ, but your place in it.
Because to remember Christ is more than recalling—it is re-membering in the truest sense: being joined anew to his life, his body, his mission. It is reconnecting with the one who never forgets us.
Christ remembers you. Will you remember him?
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
With gratitude and Easter blessing,
Rev. Wendy MacWilliams