Easter... He is Risen and you are Raised with Him!
by Fr. Keith Allen, Rector
There are questions that are common to all of us. We all, at some point - and for most of us at many points - ask “who am I?” What am I going to do with my life? Where or how will all this end?
These days of quarantine have given us time, space, and cause to ask ourselves anew the important questions of life.
The answers to these questions depend on your identity - whose you are and who you are!
IF you are in Christ THEN you have a new identity!
You and I were born as sons and daughters of Adam. Thus, we were dead in our trespasses and sins. We were born guilty and inclined toward a life of sin. In spite of our guilt and rebellion, God did a miracle – He resurrected us from this life of death in Christ Jesus! He took us from the grave and gave us a new identity in Christ, so now we are sons and daughters of God. (Colossians 2:13-14)
The Risen Christ changes everything about us now and for our future. You are not who you once were – you are a new creation in Christ Jesus! Therefore, I don’t want to look back to the event of the Resurrection as a mere historical fact, but rather to our present and future in light of it.
You have been raised with Christ so live like it!
In the present we are called to live the resurrection boldly before the watching world. We are to seek the things above, to set our minds on the things above and shine the light of resurrection here and now. What does that mean? It means that we take this gift of life and live it to the full. Christ lived and died and rose again so that we would know the love of God. His resurrection calls us to take this new life in Christ and live like Him. We must set our affections on the living God. We long to worship Him, to grow in faith as His disciples, and to reach out into the world to love others. In other words you are called to live as Christ did when he walked this earth. So as long as we live, let us live boldly for Christ. (Colossians 3:1-2)
In the future we are assured that we will spend eternity with God. In these days marked by disease and death the question of eternity has taken on a new urgency for us all. Rejoice! It is the empty tomb that provides for us the courage and hope to face these days. When our days on earth come to an end, the resurrection serves to remind us that our story goes on. We, like Christ, cannot be held by a tomb. We have been destined to worship the Lord and enjoy Him forever! (Colossians 3:3-4)
So, my encouragement to you is to live the resurrection today. Boldly live in love of God and for others. In addition, remember that when death comes it is not the end of our story. We have been raised with Christ Jesus and heaven will be our home! He is risen and you are raised with Him!
“We Confess” by Glenn Packiam is a
song based on the prayers of confession in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. The ending chorus is sung from God’s perspective announcing His forgiveness to us. Find the video online here.
Thank You For Giving
We are grateful for the continued financial support of our church family over the past several weeks. Thank you for giving generously and for your prayers. Our bills are being paid on time and we are able to provide worship services online and also reach out to those in need.
Please continue to give as you are able, whether mailing a check to the Church office at 667 20th Street, Vero Beach FL 32960, or an online donation.
Easy Tithe is secure software on our website that allows you to give directly from your bank into a Christ Church designated fund.
All worship services, classes and meetings involving 10 or more people are cancelled through April 30.
Evening Prayer Online
In this time when we cannot be together, we've added a mid-week service of Evening Prayer you can watch live at 5:30 pm on Wednesdays. You can follow along in your Book of Common Prayer beginning at page 41, or with this resource that automatically lists the prayers, scripture readings, and collects for each day. During this service, we read aloud the prayers of the people so please send in your requests to Lois Okaily; a copy of this list will be available on the website on Wednesday afternoons if you want to follow along.
The Crucified Life Lessons Online
The remaining sessions of our Sunday School Lenten series can be viewed on our website. You will find them under "What We Do" beneath the sermon video archives.
The Lenten journey we have taken leads us to ponder the sacrificial death of Jesus along with our own response of dying to self as we walk the way of the cross.
Stay Connected with a Zoom Meeting
We're able to provide Zoom video conferencing of Bible Studies, Small Groups and other meetings online until we can meet together again. All participants must first download the app or software onto a computer or mobile device, and group leaders must schedule their meeting(s) with Stephanie to get a link to send to your invited viewers.
Many local non-profit organizations are grant recipients of funds from United Way to assist local residents with rent, utilities, food, diapers, and other needs. More information is available here.
If you live in Indian River County and are in need of meals delivered to you, call The Source Ministries at 772-564-0202 to get on the delivery schedule. They deliver meals 7 days a week
Celebrations
THE WEEK OF April 12-18
Birthdays:
Austin Decker
Joanne Stockhowe
Lindsay Sinn
Matt Gordon
Anne Talbot
