Daily ScriptureWhen they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…..And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ (Matthew 28:17-19a, 20b)Daily ReflectionAfter the disciples had seen Jesus arrested, beaten, and crucified, many of them ran and hid – probably fearing they would be next. That was not the end of the story, of course, as God resurrected Jesus from death; and here, sometime later, Jesus meets with the disciples back in Galilee. Is it any wonder after what they had witnessed, and with how they were feeling, that some of them doubted?Then Jesus spoke these words – words which are known now as The Great Commission; this is to be their job: go and make disciples of all nations. That is our commission too! Impossible? “Remember, I am with you always,” says Jesus. Revd David
Daily Scripture:In dying (Christ) died to sin once for all; in living he lives to God. See yourselves therefore as dead to sin; and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6, 10-11)Daily Reflection: What makes you feel 'alive'? Standing on the beach watching the waves on a blustery day? Doing some 'forest bathing'? Our verse today makes a stark contrast between being 'dead' and being 'alive'. Christians know a 'new life', a life with Jesus at the helm, and this life is full of continual hope. A life without Christ is like trying to steer a rudder-less ship - we continually get stuck on the banks. Paul exhorts us to turn away from our old life, a life dead to sin, and turn towards Jesus for a new life, a new hope. Jesus has done the hard work in preparing the way for your new life - today, choose life, choose hope, and enter into the new way of living that He has prepared for you. It's a free gift, and it's yours to take hold of. Vicki Young
Daily ScriptureSo they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’Daily ReflectionEaster is here! Our long walk through Lent with Jesus has come to an end. Suddenly all is light! The women at the tomb have just met an angel of light, who have sent them to tell “the boys” – and now they meet with the Risen One himself! What incredible joy! No wonder they fell down in worship.But wait – it’s not finished there – even Jesus sends them on with a message for “the brothers”. We can not just revel in our own happy experience, we also have a message to pass on, and our Easter message, like theirs, is simple: He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!Revd Ylva
EASTER SUNDAYDaily Scripture:Colossians 3.1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, seek those things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of GodDaily Reflection:Christians have always believed that the resurrection of Jesus means not just that Jesus is raised but that we too will be raised to new life after our death.In fact, in some sense we are already raised to new life if we belong to Christ. So we live our ordinary, temporal life and our resurrected, eternal life both at the same time,Not a ‘double life’, adapting like a chameleon according to the people we are with; not ‘so heavenly minded that we’re no earthly use’, but an integrated way of living, living out in our own lives the values we have learned from Jesus. ‘Heaven in ordinary’, as George Herbert described it.We cannot do this in our own strength, but only by the grace of God at work within us.Christ is risen; we are risen!Shed upon us heavenly grace,Rain and dew and gleams of gloryFrom the brightness of Thy face,That we, with our hearts in Heaven,Here on earth may fruitful be,And by angel hands be gathered,And be ever, Lord, with Thee.HAPPY EASTER!Revd Rosemary
