When the Easter worship has ended, the last notes of the brass have been played, and the flowers have gone off to new homes, it might seem as if the celebration of resurrection is over. But Easter isn’t a single day, it’s not even a single season, but a way of life for those of us who have heard the good news. Our call is to keep coming back to that empty tomb to see for ourselves and proclaim that, YES, Christ is risen! Death does not have the final word!
As Easter people we continue to confess our faith and live into the hope and promise of new life. For today’s devotion I invite you to read and reflect on this faith statement from The United Church of Canada. We most commonly confess our faith with The Apostles’ Creed, but reading various faith statements is a valuable way of hearing our faith proclaimed with different words. Read it through once and notice what catches your attention. Did something strike you as beautiful? Challenging? Inspiring? Hopeful?
Give these words some time and space to live you in and then read it again at the end of your day.
In Joy, Pastor Ruth
“A New Creed” from the United Church of Canada(1968; rev. 1980, 1995).
We are not alone,
we live in God’s world.
We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus,
the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others
by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us.
We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.
Let us pray:
God of mercy, we no longer look for Jesus among the dead, for he is alive and has become the Lord of life. Increase in our minds and hearts the risen life we share with Christ, and help us to grow as your people toward the fullness of eternal life with you, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.