After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb. Look, there was a great earthquake, for an angel from the Lord came down from heaven. Coming to the stone, he rolled it away and sat on it. Now his face was like lightning and his clothes as white as snow. The guards were so terrified of him that they shook with fear and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He isn’t here, because he’s been raised from the dead, just as he said. Come, see the place where they laid him. Now hurry, go and tell his disciples, ‘He’s been raised from the dead. He’s going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.’ I’ve given the message to you.”
With great fear and excitement, they hurried away from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples. But Jesus met them and greeted them. They came and grabbed his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go and tell my brothers that I am going into Galilee. They will see me there.” ~ Matthew 28:1-10
Can you believe Easter day has come and gone? It seems crazy to me. BUT did you know that Easter isn’t just a day? It’s a season! It’s a full 8 Sundays, we get to celebrate Easter a little longer! And right now, in this world we are living in, I think it is a much-needed season and celebration.
There was so much talk about Easter in the last few weeks… you had people saying, “They can’t cancel Easter!” “Easter just won’t be the same not going to church [building]!” and so on. And they are right, no one can cancel Easter. Easter comes without any help from us. And, Easter wasn’t the same, it was very different but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
One of the things I love about the Easter story and the readings we have throughout the season, is that Jesus meets people where they are… in the above scripture Jesus meets the Marys on the road, in the book of John, it says Jesus goes to the house where the disciples are hiding away. He met some on the road to Emmaus and so on. He meets them where they are, wherever they are, and… He meets us wherever WE are too. We don’t have to be in the church building, at a church meeting, we don’t have to be at a conference, a retreat. There is no requirement of a place to be in order to meet Jesus. Jesus meets us right where are, right when we need him.
My Easter was very different this year. There was a little sadness as I missed some of our usual traditions, but the joy of Easter did find its way to me. It met me in my sadness and helped me find my way. It met me in our virtual Fellowship time, with my little churches, after our worship service. It met me as my little family gathered around the table to worship together over brunch. It met me right here where I am. I didn’t need a special building for that. I didn’t need full Easter baskets for grown up kids. I just need to be present, right here, right now and Jesus will come to meet me here, right where I am. And he’ll meet you right where you are too.
Let us pray together.
Gracious, Loving God,
Thank you! Thank you for the Easter Story, for the Good News of Christ. Thank you for opportunities to remember that you are bigger and greater than any building, than any one place. Thank you for loving us so much that you meet us where we are. Amen.
Simply Sherri 
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