Having finished the #LentArt series this morning I posted this #EasterArt image: "Jesus and Mary Magdalene in the Garden" from the Resurrection Chapel of the National Cathedral in Washington DC. As with my #AdventArt posts, a number of people have urged me to keep going to Pentecost. Frankly, as with many others this strange covid-shaped Lent and Holy Week, I'm a bit exhausted from technological engagement, probably even more than I usually am after a week of face-to-face Holy Week services, so whilst I may sporadically post some #EasterArt images in the morning, I will not be posting an accompanying devotion blog here every night, although I have asked some lay and ordained colleagues to share in offering evening thoughts on our Circuit Facebook page and in order to facilitate some who are not so tech savvy I may host some of them here.
But this morning as well as sharing this post we also shared in a Facebook Live communion from our back garden (in place of the usual site of Belfast South Methodist's usual Easter communion in the beautiful surroundings of walled garden of Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park), as well as a recorded service with Rev. June Parke preaching. I suppose to complete the pattern we established in our Holy Week services I should have asked Play it By Ear to provide an Easter Morning monologue, but I didn't, so instead I offer this reblog of a short piece that I wrote and we used in Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park back in 2016.
I saw him… with my own eyes… although I didn’t recognize him at first… it must have been the tears… I thought he must have been the gardener, and I gave him a hard time about where they had put the body… I can’t imagine what he thought… I gabbled on until he said “Miriam”… My name… though you know me as Mary…
Whatever way he said my name cut through my distress and confusion and I saw him as clearly as I see you now… my dear teacher… “Rabboni” I said as I rushed to embrace him… But he wouldn’t let me… Something about not holding him back from returning to his father… So I didn’t… But he asked me to go and tell his friends and family that he had risen and was returning to his Father God…
So I did… to a mixed reception… but they saw that I was right in the end when they saw him themselves…
Although I was angry at the time that they wouldn’t all believe me, I realized later that it was predictable… Of course they wouldn’t believe a grief-stricken woman… Even when we’re in our right minds a woman’s testimony is only worth a fraction of a man’s in court… And that morning I will admit I wasn’t in my right mind…
But again, as I thought on it later, how typical of God to allow me, a woman, to be the first person to see the Master risen from the dead… and in a garden too… So many women-hating religious teachers justify their position by pointing the finger of blame at a woman in a garden for bringing sin into the world… when Eve gave in to the serpent’s temptation…
Was this Father God being funny? Or was he bringing things strangely full circle?
I don’t know… I’ll leave the religious teachers to work that one out… But me? I just know that I have seen the risen Lord… Have you seen him?
PRAYER
Lord God
Creator of life and light
We think of that garden where on Easter morning long ago
Your Son rose from the dead
Heralding a new beginning for all creation.
We give thanks for the faithfulness of Mary
and other sisters and brothers down through the centuries
who have shared your great good news.
Some were disregarded and disbelieved.
Others mocked and persecuted,
right down to the present day.
Often the persecutors were the arbiters of religious orthodoxy.
Forgive us where we are unwilling to accept
the light dawning in unexpected ways
from unexpected quarters.
Forgive us our unwillingness to hear
your great good news
because it comes from the lips
of unexpected heralds.
May we celebrate with joy Christ's glorious resurrection
And together be set free from the power of sin and the fear of death
Through faith in him who is alive and reigns with you
In the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God
Now and forever more. AMEN
Hallelujah
Comments
Wishing you a prayerful Pentecost.
With love
Matt
Any prayers I write down tend to at least have a "poetic sense" so I don't mind the use of the word - whether its good poetry or not is for others to say - I know too many genuinely stunning poets to be in anyway confident in my poetic skills. But I probably put more effort, word for word into crafting my prayers than I do into any sermon.
The building work on the new project has been suspended until the contractors can safely work again and source their materials in a timely manner. We have another care facility that is very much in the front line of this horrible struggle.
I had a couple of days off and am going to take it slow through the remains of this week, but there are new issues arising every day.
Look after yourself physically and mentally in this time... Maybe we could hook up in the real world again when this is "over."
David