Easter Day

Sun

31 Mar

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Click here to listen to the first of our resurrection narratives, read by Eleanor Calder.
It is taken from Matthew 28 and followed by some reflections on the theme of this week:
Wonder. Today we begin a gratitude practice which will go right through to
Pentecost. You will need:

  • A bunch of post-it notes, which you keep beside your bed.
  • A public place to post them – like the bathroom door, or the fridge door.
  • A reminder on your phone, set just before bedtime.

Every night from now until the end of this calendar (or beyond) take three post-it notes and write a word on each which describes something from the day for which you are grateful. Stick them somewhere public so that every time you pass that place you will be reminded of the many good things in your life. If you live in a house with others, invite them to join you in this practice.

 

Mon

1 Apr

Today’s picture is a detail from The Summer Bach painted by Auckland artist Nanette Randall.

When the early settlers arrived in Aotearoa, those who tried to paint landscapes discovered they didn’t have a sufficient colour palette to capture the light here. Sometimes we don’t have a sufficient language palette to capture the wonder of the resurrection. Imagine what it must have been like for the first disciples, encountering the risen Christ!

This video shows what wonder looks like, as colour-blind people see colour for the first time. Today, consciously use your eyes to delight in the world around you. What might you be blind to, which God might be bringing to your attention? Reflect in your journal.

 

Tue

2 Apr

Look at that beautiful face! A face filled with wonder. Think of other photos that capture people gasping with wonder and delight. Wonder creates beauty.

 

Click here to watch a short film by Rob Bell, on Rediscovering Wonder.

Find some time today to talk to a friend about this video and your response to it.

 

Wed

3 Apr

Here’s another beautiful face! Dogs’ experience of the world is largely defined by their sense of smell.

In the attached cartoon Aromatherapies – Tried and True, Michael Leunig reminds us that our sense of smell can lead us to delight. He also invited us to delight in the ordinary.

Smell is also the strongest link to memory. What are the smells that tell you that that the stresses and strains of everyday life are ebbing away? What does holiday smell like? What about peace? Family? Home?

The invitation today is to breathe deeply and attune all your senses to wonder in the everyday.

 

Thu

4 Apr

Anne Lamott, in her book Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers writes:

“The third great prayer, Wow, is often offered with a gasp, a sharp intake of breath, when we can’t think of another way to capture the sight of shocking beauty or destruction, of a sudden unbidden insight or an unexpected flash of grace. ‘Wow’ means we are not dulled to wonder.”

Pay attention to those moments that take your breath away, or cause you to say (and pray) “Wow”. Take a photo and post it in the comments section of today’s Facebook post, or if you’re on Instagram: #resurrectionnz or #resurrectioncalendar.

 

Fri

5 Apr

Today’s image is a peacock tile made by Jerusalem Pottery.

The peacock is an ancient Christian symbol for eternal life. It is also associated with the resurrection of Christ because it sheds it old feathers every year and grows, newer, brighter ones each year.

In every age and every place Christians have worked to express the mystery and wonder of the resurrection through art and music.

Click here to listen to the St Paul’s Symond’s Street Worship Group lead the congregation in He’s Alive, by Andy Campbell, Chris Cope and Isaac Williams. Click here for the words and chord chart.

 

 

 

Sat

6 Apr

Each Saturday in this calendar you are invited to undertake a prayer practice called
The Examen. Click here to learn about it and here to be led through The Examen.

Concluding Prayer:

God of opportunity and change,
praise to you for giving us life at this critical time.
As our horizons extend, keep us loyal to our past;
as our dangers increase, help us to prepare the future;
keep us trusting and hopeful,
ready to recognise your kingdom as it comes.
Amen.