Easter Vigil Sermon

What does all this mean? We told and listened to stories of Gods acts and of human falling away; about sin death and resurrection. This week we have followed Christ from Palms Sunday triumphantly entering Jerusalem as savior and king. We thenmoved to the Maundy Thursday, the night of Christs betrayal, the very night he spoke to his disciples of his new commandment to love one another. And then to Good Friday Christs unjust death on the Cross. Finnaly we now have come to Easter, celebrating his resurrection from the dead? So what does it all mean?

Its all about Love.

This answer is both simple and complex. This answer makes sense to us and yet it might also be misunderstood. Our culture is obsessed with love, with romantic love and desire. If when I say "It is all about love", your first thought is to people falling in love, or the love of two people that grows from that, or even the love of family there might be a misunderstanding if love doesnt mean more than these things. It will probably not make sense for me to say that Jesus death and his resurrection is all about love. The story we have told this week and tonight is an odd love story.

Moulin Rouge is a love story that reflects aspects of the drama of Holy Week. The movie begins with great expectation, The young poet Christian comes to Paris with great idealism he is on the edge of a new age, the Bohemian revolution with its ideas of Freedom Truth Beauty and Love, and above all love, Romantic love, Eros. But there is a dark side to these ideals, or at least the environment in which these ideas are being proclaimed, in the hhadow of the Moulin Rouge night club. There is greed, there is infidelity, there are competing loves, competing desires all of which compete with necessity.

The Moulin Rouge is tinged with death, as the courtesan, Satine caries death within her having contracted tuberculosis. As you most likely know Christian falls in love with the courtesan Satine, who wants to be a real actress, a star of the stage show that the poet has been commissioned to write by a troupe of bohemians. But to put on this show there is the need for money and a certain duke who will provide the money for the show wants Satine exclusively for his mistress. In return the Duke will provide the owner of the Moulin Rouge, Herold Ziegler, with all the money he needs to turn the Moulin Rouge into a theater and put on the show, Spectacular, Spectacular. For a time the Christian and Satine hide their love from the Duke and it appears that love will win out in the end that as the Song of Songs says that this romantic love is as stronger as death, fiercer than the grave, unquenchable. But other loves and other necessities break the two apart and the Christian becomes distraught and broken. The film comes to an end with the show being put on the way the Duke wants it, and having the Satine as his mistress.

But Christian comes back and it seems that at this moment their love will be resurrected. Yet just as it seems all will be well Satine collapses at the end of the show due to the tuberculosis. She dies on the stage. Christian broken hearted again. The Moulin Rouge dies with her. The movie ends in death and the memory that death leaves us. The triumph of the story is that Christian loved, even though now all that he loved is dead and all he has left to do is write the story of that love. Love survives as a memoir, as a shadow, but death is the real victor. This is the melancholy of the film. This story is our cultures story it is the story we tell ourselves about love, and this how Baz Lohrmann can tell the entire story through our popular love songs. This love is not the love of the Song of Songs, this love is not the love that is as stronger as death, fiercer than the grave.

Tonight we have listened to a love story, a story that is sometimes told as a romantic love story. But unlike Moulin Rouge this love story does not end in death, rather it ends in the defeat of death. The stories told as we sat in the dark with our candles around the baptismal waters, the waters of creation the waters of the Jordan, the waters of our Baptism, is the story of Gods love for humanity. Gods unending, unrelenting love that through God the Son coming as a human being and dieing and rising again reaches through death into life. A love that defeats death. This love story that ends in resurrection and not death shows us the source of every romance story. So that we can see that the longing in Moulin Rouge and the romance stories we tell our selves, is a mere shadow of true love. Such love will only find its source in God and Gods love for humanity and the world. A love that loves even those who would not love in return, a love that dies so that humanity may find true love again. Moulin Rouge pictures the world dominated by sin and death, Christ in his passion and resurrection shows forth a love freed from that domination, a love that is truly stronger than death, that can empower our own love, and make it ever more expansive.

Yes It is all about love, though not simply the love of Moulin Rouge and our pop love songs. This means that Christs resurrection calls us to reorienting our understanding of love, to love of enemies, to a love that can find its true end only in God and a God who love first and last, who dies that true love may be known, in a world that is not unlike the heights and depths of Moulin Rouge.. The new life we are born to as Christians is love, a love that encompasses all; the lovely and the unlovely, enemy and friend. This is not sappy love this is not an emotional high. It is that unrelenting pursuit of the other seeks the others best, seeking to engulf them in a love that can in truth not be quenched. It is that love that will survive even death, because Love, God who is Love, underwent death and defeated death, by death. Our loves may be true, but all true love has its source in what we proclaim on this mourning. If you wish to truly love, truly love your partner,truly love your family, your friends, yes even your enemies, then one needs to become one with Christ who is love whose love defeated death, by death. Come to the one whose love is truly stronger than death, who has loved you from eternity and has never ceased loving you. Who died and rose again for love, for love of those who rejected and hated that love. Yes, Love has defeated death, by death.

Alleluia Christ is risen.

Maundy Thursday Sermon

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"

Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand."

Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet."

Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me."

Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!"

Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean."

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord--and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Drama.

This is our wondering for the week. What is it about drama that is useful for the Christian to understand, to live into Holy Week?

Live into? That is the idea, isn’t it? There is a drama to Holy Week to be certain, but we have not been asked to put on masks and to become actors. No. We have been asked to have the mind of Christ and to love one another. This is no staged reading. This is life.

The problem is for me is that I prefer a staged reading much more than life. I would rather escape into a staged drama with masks and lights and costumes than live the life given to me by a loving God.


Trish and I watched the movie Big Night recently. It is one of my favorite movies. It's about food. I can't help myself. The movie is actually about two brothers from Italy who have moved to New England to open a restaurant. They are named Primo and Segundo. The trouble is that they are making no money at all. They are struggling to make the restaurant work. Across the street, however, is another Italian restaurant that is doing quite well.

As the story progresses, Segundo goes to the restaurant across the street to speak with the owner about borrowing some money. The owner, another Italian immigrant, refuses to loan Segundo money, but does promise to help. He says that he is friends with the great Louis Primo. If Segundo will throw a party, invite everyone they know, he will get Louis Primo to come. Segundo agrees to the bargain and goes to the bank to pull out the last of the savings for this meal.

It is an amazing meal. Secret recipes are employed. There is dancing and music and drinking and drama. Segundo is cought by his girlfriend kissing another woman. It is a romantic series fo scenes, colorful and gorgeous. This is the drama that the brothers find themseves in. This is their hope, the promise they feel they have been given.

And it is all based on a lie. The owner of the restaurant across the street never intended to invite Louis Primo. The brothers have spent their last dime on a farce...a beautiful and dramatic meal, a blessing to their friends, but all predicated on a falsehood. There is no greater drama than this in the movie. This is heartbreaking. The brothers fight. They roll around on the beach in the moonlight cursing and swearing, pummeling one another with their fists. Drama.

But then it is morning. There are no words spoken in the last 10 minutes of the film. Segundo walks into the kitchen to find the busboy asleep on the table. He stands and looks around the kitchen, picks up a few eggs and begins to make an omelette. It is a simple recipe. Eggs, salt and pepper. That is all. Without speaking, the busboy gets two plates out, finds two forks and a couple of slices of bread. Segundo portions out the servings, leaving enough for a third in the skillet.

Primo walks in. The whole scene is shot in a single frame. There are no cuts. No one speaks. Segundo sees his brother, gets up and prepares a plate. They sit beside one another. The busboy leaves. And then the brothers put their arms around one another and eat thier simple meal.

This is the movie. You can miss the entirety of the preceeding drama and still get the point of the movie. The simple silent ending, the reconciliation and love between two brothers is deeply moving ans speaks of the truth of our gospel reading tonight.

Again, the problem is for me is that I prefer a staged reading much more than life. I would rather escape into a staged drama with masks and lights and costumes than live the life given to me by a loving God. My wife and have spent more time talking about the magnificent dinner and how to recreate those recipes than we have been delving into the beauty of that last scene and the love expressed between two brothers.

It seems that Simon Peter was wrestling with similar demons. He was cought up in the drama. He could see only the costumes, his assumptions of the purposes of Christ's ministry. The redemption of Israel would be challenging and romantic!

This is the challenge of our faith. This is the challenge of the gospel. Tonight we will wash one another's feet. We will celebrate the eucharist. We have companions in prayer with the icons. But all of this, no matter how beautiful and blessed, for it is certainly blessed as Peter was blessed. Peter was given the keys to the church. He is the rock, drama and all. But we are not called to be known for the drama. No. We are called to be known for our love. This is the deeply challenging love of the cross. This is the love that goes to dark Gethsemane, that dies for our sins.

I know that it is a danger to ascribe emotions to Peter. A professor of mine would be quite frustrated with me. But I read this passage and Peter appears to be up to his old tricks. He wants to keep Jesus "in his place," high above all. And, when rebuked, he seems to want to glorify his own lowliness. Peter says, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" If I am to be low, let me be the lowest of the low!

Ah, the drama of it all. Peter was quite the romantic, I think. He loved the drama of it all. He never did anything half way. And God blessed him for his faith. Thankfully Jesus keeps Peter on track. Let us pray that through the drama of Holy Week that we too will be kept on track, that we will be known for our love.

Amen.

Palm Sunday Sermon

The Drama of Holy Week

I. Intro- Today we Celebrate Christs coming into Jerusalem as King, as Prince of Peace as Messiah
a) What has been uncertain is made plain.
b) The signs are there, in donkey and colt.
c) Stay with me in this triumphant moment in the Drama of this day. We know the end of the Story but stay here in this space. Can you feel the excitement, the Thrill. This day this joy is part of the way of Christ
II. Our Psalm enjoys us to rejoice in this day, it is made by God. Dont rush ahead.

a) Can you feel the excitement. Here is Jesus.
b) Can you feel the relief of the Disciples?
c) All the tumult over Lazarus the threats to Jesus life, melt away on this day.
III. But we know the end of the story we know Good Friday is coming, and we know, Easter is just after that. But dont rush ahead Stay here in Jerusalem with the crowds the excitement, the triumph, the authorities dumbfounded.

a) This day is as much the way of the cross, this jubilation this excitement on the edge of something.
b) Something is about to happen, the air tingles with anticipation.
c) The forces of opposition of evil, of apathy seem to have been pushed back and yet, somehow this isnt then end this isnt victory.
d) We know this day in our lives, in our walks of faith, dont we? When doubt melts away, when God is real, when faith makes sense. When the world doesnt seem so hostile after all? This is the day that the Lord has made, Rejoice and be glad in it.
e) But we know what comes, we know the cross looms, but dont rush ahead stay here with me.  

IV. Yet partof this day of this rejoicing of this triumph is knowing that something looms on the horizon there is grumbling. We know that this triumph this powerful yet peaceful and grace filled proclamation of Christ is not the victory.

a) A triumph like this very public isnt always the victory, but this joy this excitement is part of the way of the cross, the way of Christ. The spontaneous acclamation, the affirmations that this is true, are part of our walk of faith.
b) This is why we must not rush ahead, there is a place for joyful tension of knowing that this is good but not the whole story, that something looms on the horizon.
c) Yes the cross, and yes the final victory.

V. Conclusion: This day Palm Sunday, the day of the Triumphal entry is our day, the day of the church. it is in between.
a) Today is a foretaste of that day when every knee shall bow, and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. Yet we have not reached that day. This day is as much a part of the walk of faith, of carrying the cross as Good Friday and Easter.
b) So rejoice the prince of peace has come and the world has seen it and some have recognized it. Stay here in the excitement; Good Friday will come soon enough.
c) The shadow in this day is already the shadow of the cross, but the light behind that shadow is the light of the Resurrection. This is the day that the Lord has made, rejoice and be Glad in it, as part of the rhythm of the drama of the way of the Cross.

Holy Week Update

Hi all,
We have had difficulty in keeping up with our weekly updates. So here is a reminder about our Holy Week Services. All are invited to join us for worship.
Where ever you might be worshiping for Holy Week we encourage you to enter fully into the drama of the church's marking and commemorating these events of our salvation and the salvation of the world. The point of these celebrations is to enter into the way of Christ, that we may renew our minds, and have in us the Mind of Christ.
Our Holy Week services are as follows:

Palm Sunday Service: 3/20 This will be held at our regular time and place...6pm at Chase Cafe.
Maundy Thursday Service: 3/24 This will be at the Community of the Holy Trinity, 6443 N. Bosworth #2 at 7pm. There will be a simple meal and a foot washing liturgy.
Good Friday: 3/25 This service will also be a Community of the Holy Trinity, 6443 N. Bosworth #2 at 7pm.
Easter Vigil: 3/26 We have reserved Chase Cafe for this Saturday evening celebration. The service will begin at 11pm and end at about 1am

.

For the Easter Vigil We have use of the entire space at Chase Cafe, so there is room for a lot of creativity. The Great Vigil of Easter can be a deeply transforming liturgy. In it we will hear a retelling of the creation story and the salvation of Israel, God's chosen. We will all have the opportunity to renew our baptism and partake of the Lord's Supper. This is the Great Feast of the Church. We want to encourage as many people to come as possible. The promise of the resurrection is for the whole world. From the New Zealand Prayer Book, we have this word: Lord of the passover, you have lit this night with the radiance of Christ; renew us in our baptism, and bring us through the Red Sea waters to the promised land. The whole of the world is lit with Christ's light. Thanks be to God!
We wish you a blessed Holy Week
-The Pastoral Team

Sermon 5th Sunday in Lent

(These are the expanded notes from my sermon this past Sunday)
The Resurrection Life

Tonight we hear rumors of resurection in our Scripture Texts. In the depths of lent on the way to the cross we hear talk of life and resurection. A Friend of mine recently said to me that he was seeking to live the resurrection life. Yet, what is this Resurection life? What do all these stories of bones and death and pain have to do with life and resurection. These rumors are not simply about life but a life that is resurected.Resurrection implies death, New life implies an old life. Passing away of the Old. If the resurrection is simply a future state than my friend speaks nonsense, Resurrection and life must be more than simply about our bodily health.

I What is the Resurrection Life, where does it begin?
a) The pslamist give us a clue as he cries "out of the Depths".
b) Ezekiel confronts Dry Bones, the impossibility of life being anywhere found in the piles of human remains, stripped of their flesh, dried up sun bleached bones. Ezekiel does not answer God's question but leaves the answer to God's abilities. Ezekiel knows life does not come from death but he knows the source of life.
c) The story of Lazarus takes us to a a dark tomb, closed off from the world. Jesus lets Lazarus die that we may confront the truth of death and the truth of the power and glory of God.
II God Calls
a) Prophesy, Ezekiel is told, life that comes to the dry bones comes from the Word of God. For resurection there must be death but death is not the source of life, God raises to life that which has no life in it. God brings back to fullness and health that which is merely the remains of life.
b) Not of flesh but the spirit. The resurection life is the leaving behind one life that is death for that life which is true life in God and the Spirit
c) Wind, breath, life, without the spirit without breath there is no life, and so Ezekiel is told to prophesy the spirit, the breath, that the bodies which have been rejuvenated may also be reanimated. We are brought back to life through the Word and the Spirit.
d) "Lazarus Come forth", Jesus Calls. Out of the depths, recognizing our need for god, for the tombs in our life we come to life in Christ, who is "the Resurection and the life."
III A story about Resurrection Life?
The story of Lazarus is full of contradictions and paradoxes. Jesus loves Lazarus and Mary and Martha, but knowingly lets him die, Jesus comes and in face of grief seems less than compassionate, and possibly even angry, and yet also weeps at Lazarus' grave yet knowing what he is going to do in just a moment. Lazarus had to die, that he may know and all may know the source of life. There is no resurection without death, and yet death is not the source of life. Lazarus as a picture of our souls of ourselves, we must die to know true life. The tomb's of our lives must be opened up and the stench of death that still lingers in our lives even though we have come to faith even though we have been baptized and come to new life, death lingers especially if we hide death locked in a tomb. For Lazarus to be raised from the dead the tomb had to be open the reality of death and sin face fully, not purged through intense wailing and expression of grief. If Lent is a type of dying, it is not for the sake of death but for the sake of life that we open ourselves to God and allow him to stand at the open tombs of our lives and cry out Lazarus come forth.
Conclusion
Are we living by the Spirit or the flesh? Do the death clothes still hold us tight, are we up but still bound by death? Yes take up your cross as we move towards Holy week, yes face sin and death in our lives, yes open the tombs let the stench of our sin be in the open. Yet we must not forget that in this is not life but rather we open our lives to God that he may call us to new life. Only by dying to the flesh do we come to life in the Spirit, yet that life does not come from death but from the one who is the resurection and the life. May we hear this evening Jesus calling to us "Lazarus come forth."

Sermon: Lent IV

As I utter these prayers
from my mouth O God
In my soul may I feel your presence.
The knee that is stiff
O healer make pliant
The heart that is hard,
make warm beneath your wing
The wound that is giving me pain,
O best of healers, make whole.
And may my hopes and fears
Find a listening place with you.
Amen.

1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41

I don’t know about you all, but in my house there is a saying. It goes like this: "'I see’, said the blind man." We use it to express understanding. "Ah! Now I get it. I did not understand before, but now I do."

For me, however, there is always a lingering confusion of ideas in this little saying. Every time I use it, I am aware of the contradiction. I see, said the blind man. I see, but I am still blind. I understand, but I am still confused. I am still the blind man. I remember that my father would say something to me and I would look at him quizzically, and wonder aloud what he meant: "'I see', said the blind man."

I see and I am blind.
You have explained it and I am still confused.

And so it is with our friends in John’s gospel this evening.

So the Pharisees ask, "This has never happened before. Who has done this to you?"

"A prophet." The man states.

I see here in the text that he does not say "The Messiah" or "Jesus, the Son of God. Emmanuel." He says quite plainly, "a prophet." That is all. This seems strange to me when there are so many other people who receive Jesus’ healing because of their faith. Here it is Jesus who acts first.

And it is not that the blind man is ungrateful or even afraid to stand before the council. He seems to be pretty brave all things considered. Perhaps it is because he too still does not understand. He knows he can see. He knows that "the man called Jesus" has healed him. Jesus put mud on his eyes. The blind man washed them. Now he sees. It is so very simple.

I can see the Pharisees…in my imagination they are confused. They argue and they bicker. They plumb the depths of their theological knowledge. They scour scroll after scroll to try to explain this thing in plain sight…this man standing before them.

They do not debate the miracle, but instead they wonder who would do such a thing on the Sabbath. I mean, really, what man of God does not observe the Sabbath? They seem blind to what is standing before them. So, they probe further.

"He can see. He is not supposed to see. He is supposed to be blind. We understand why he was blind. He was born that way. His parents sinned and so he was born blind. That is the way of things. We cannot understand why he can see. And yet…he sees. How is this?"

I see, said the blind man.

Again, the Pharisees don’t like the answer they have been given to this anomaly standing before them. Even the man’s parents are afraid. "He is of age. Ask him!" They pass the buck. They do not care to indict themselves as part of this confusing and frightening occurrence. They will only concur that once their son was blind and now he sees.

So they ask again…"Tell us again how this happened."

In the blind man’s response I see something new. "Do you also wish to become his disciples?" Do you also? So, now I see in the text that this man sees himself as a disciple of the man called Jesus.

Then the disciple of Jesus preaches a sermon to the Pharisees.

Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.

When I read this I see the blind man’s eyes being opened just a little more. The man Jesus is from God. In his attempts to get the Pharisees to see, the man may begin to see for himself.

"'I see,' said the blind man."

The Pharisees don’t seem so confused though, do they? They see the man’s sin and they drive him out. They don’t know what we know. They cannot seem to see what we see. We see that this man’s blindness has nothing to do with sin. Instead, this man’s blindness has everything to do with revealing Christ to the world. But it would seem that our friend the blind man also does not quite yet see.

He is cast out. We do not know where he went. Perhaps he went to his parent’s house. Though that sounds like it might have been awkward. Perhaps he wandered about. We do not know. Scripture does not tell us. What we do see, however, is the fulfillment of a promise.

Jesus went looking for the man.
Jesus went looking for the man.

The man Jesus, the prophet, the man of God, went looking for the man who had been born blind. Jesus knew the man had been driven out. Jesus went looking for the man.

God so loved the world. Brothers and sisters, God comes looking for us. Go does not leave us cast out. No. God seeks us. He looks for us. Do you want to see God? Well, God is looking for you. Even if you walk through the darkest valley, God looks for you. Fear no evil; for God is with you; your rod and your staff-- they comfort you.

God sees you.

Jesus finds us. He found the man that had been blind since birth and he asked him a question: "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"

He answered, "And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him."

Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he."

He said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped him.

Often, I would sit and stare at my father with some confused and silly look on my face. His explanations would often confuse me further. Then I would say, "Show me, Dad. I still don’t understand."

"You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he."

Jesus shows the man. It was not the miraculous healing. It was not the heated theological debate. It was not even being cast out that finally opened this man’s eyes. It is when Jesus sought this man out. Then his eyes were opened and he worshiped.

This is the promise of John’s Gospel. In the beginning was the word and the word became flesh and dwelt among us. God so loved the world that he sent his Son to us. God loved the man. God sought after the man. He went looking for him. Now, he is no longer the man who was born blind. He is a disciple of Christ Jesus, the Son of God.

"'I see,' said the blind man."

"Show me." Perhaps this is the cry of the world.

God will show us. God does show us.

Amen.

AKMA speaks about borrowing...

AKMA has some interesting thoughts about Christians borrowing liturgical elements from one another. I, for one, am glad he said what he said, because we at Reconciler are looking to live into a great many liturgical practices.

Weekly Update: Holy Week Approaches!

Greetings from the Pastoral Team.

We are hoping that you are having a blessed Lenten season. Our continuing conversations around the Princeton document are proving fruitful. It has created much needed honest conversation and prayer. Continue in prayer for our congregation, that God's will be made known through our shared work.

Holy Week approaches. The Pastoral Team has been emailing and meeting in order to get all the details finalized. All of you will be invited to participate in one way or another. So, be prepared for more emails coming your way.

Palm Sunday Service: 3/20 This will be held at our regular time and place...6pm at Chase Cafe.

Maundy Thursday Service: 3/24 This will be at the Community of the Holy Trinity, 6443 N. Bosworth #2 at 7pm. There will be a simple meal and a foot washing liturgy.

Good Friday: 3/25 This service will also be a Community of the Holy Trinity, 6443 N. Bosworth #2 at 7pm.

Easter Vigil: 3/27 We have reserved Chase Cafe for this Saturday evening celebration. The service will begin at 11pm and end at about 1am. We have use of the entire space, so there is room for a lot of creativity. Also, we will be posting fliers advertising this service at various places in Rogers Park and the surrounding neighborhoods. If you care to help with the promotion of this service, contact the Pastoral Team. We would love the help.

The Great Vigil of Easter can be a deeply transforming liturgy. In it we will hear a retelling of the creation story and the salvation of Israel, God's chosen. We will all have the opportunity to renew our baptism and partake of the Lord's Supper. This is the Great Feast of the Church. We want to encourage as many people to come as possible. The promise of the resurrection is for the whole world. From the New Zealand Prayer Book, we have this word: Lord of the passover, you have lit this night with the radiance of Christ; renew us in our baptism, and bring us through the Red Sea waters to the promised land. The whole of the world is lit with Christ's light. Thanks be to God!

-The Pastoral Team