O Lord Jesus Christ, who hast gone to the Father to prepare a place for us: Grant us so to live in communion with thee here on earth, that hereafter we may enjoy the fullness of thy presence; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end.

Lyrics:

Look to the day when the world seems new again:
Morning so fresh you could touch the sky;
The earth smells sweet and ev’ry flower looks bright,
Shining in a dewy light as you wander by.
Taking the time to enjoy each moment;
Tasting the fruits spread along your way,
Knowing there’s time to spare, Dreams you can dream and share:
Look to the day, look to the day.

Look to the day when the earth is green again:
Promise of spring after winter’s sleep.
The sounds of life returning fill the air,
Music that’s forever there for your heart to keep.
Deep in the earth lay the seed of life renewed,
Quiet and strong till the time of spring:
Life in each bud and shoot, Life in each flower and fruit,
Look to that day when earth shall sing.

Look to the light that will drive out darkness;
Look to the hope that will conquer fear.
God’s strength uphold us till the fight is won,
Till we see our task is done when the day is here.
Look for that day when there shall be no more pain;
Sorrow and sighing shall pass away.
Pray for the day to come, Trust that the day will come,
Look to that day, look to the day.

Lord, we give thanks for the gifts of life and health;
Plant a new seed in our hearts, we pray:
Help us to see, O Lord, How it could be, O Lord;
Look to the day, look to that day, look to the day, look to that day.

Almighty God,
who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ
have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life:
grant that, as by your grace going before us
you put into our minds good desires,
so by your continual help
we may bring them to good effect;
through Jesus Christ our risen Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

This unfinished Michelangelo is one painting telling the story of Easter in the Gallery: http://t.co/Po1mVqy6qk pic.twitter.com/TOYBdRrimD

— National Gallery (@NationalGallery) April 5, 2015

Lyrics:

O Radiant Dawn, O Radiant Dawn, O Radiant Dawn
Splendour of Eternal Light
Sun of Justice, Sun of Justice, Sun of Justice
Come, come, come, come, come,
come shine on those who dwell in darkness And the shadow of death

Isaiah had prophesied,
‘The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light.
Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone’

O Radiant Dawn, O Radiant Dawn, O Radiant Dawn
Splendour of Eternal Light
Sun of Justice, Sun of Justice, Sun of Justice
Come, come, come, come, come,
come shine on those who dwell in darkness And the shadow of death

Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen

O God our Father, whose law is a law of liberty: Grant us wisdom to use aright the freedom which thou hast given us, by surrendering ourselves to thy service; knowing that, when we are thy willing bondsmen, then only are we truly free; for Jesus Christ’s sake.

—New Every Morning (The Prayer Book Of The Daily Broadcast Service) [BBC, 1900]

Every morning His mercy is new pic.twitter.com/ZvlY3NgVPX

— Marc (@BellesHarleyMan) October 13, 2019

O God, Who by Thine only-begotten Son hast destroyed the reign of death, and hast made us partakers of the kingdom of Thy love: grant, we beseech Thee, that as Thou hast begotten us again unto a living hope by His Resurrection, so also we may be kept by His power through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in Him, where He reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.

#Jesus, the new Adam, life-giving Spirit, transform the dead into your own likeness; make their joy complete.

~ Ever-living #Christ, hear our prayer.#Vespers #EveningPrayer #PrayersfortheDead #Prayer #PrayeroftheChurch #DivineOffice #EasterSeason pic.twitter.com/K1YgFlJH3l

— McCrimmon Publishing (@McCrimmonsuk) May 5, 2020

O Christ, the light of men, Who on the third day didst arise from the grave and shed Thy bright beams upon the darkness of the world; grant, we beseech Thee, that, enlightened by Thy presence, we may walk as children of the day, to the glory of Thy Name Who livest and reignest, world without end.

–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)

Happy Easter from West New Hope United Methodist Church between Mount Pleasant & Mount Vernon, Texas.

Amazing phot… pic.twitter.com/k0cAgK8Srs

— Texas Forest Trail (@etxtraveler) March 27, 2016

Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life:
raise us, who trust in him,
from the death of sin to the life of righteousness,
that we may seek those things which are above,
where he reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

5 May 2020

Tuesday of the 4th week of Eastertide

Entrance Antiphon
Rv 19: 7, 6

Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to God,
for the Lord our God the Almighty reigns, alleluia.

Some of my recent photos. pic.twitter.com/oGLaOJTxc1

— Kalina Boulter (@KalinaBoulter) May 5, 2020

Among the lyrics are:

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him
From rising again

Listen to it all.

We give Thee thanks, Almighty Father, Who hast delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of Thy Son: grant, we beseech Thee, that as by His death He has restored to us hope and peace, He may raise us up with Him to life eternal; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)

“He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” -Luke 24:35 “The Emmaus Disciples” by Abraham Bloemaert (1622) @RoyalBelgianFA pic.twitter.com/Xr2BC37Qmk

— Lady of Good Counsel (@ofgoodcounsel) April 16, 2020

How shall we understand freedom? Perhaps because I am in a state, South Carolina, where candidates….[not long ago] were running around saying “you are free so vote for me!” this has been much in mind.

There is a lot of sloppy thinking about freedom these days. For too many it only means the ability to choose a candidate or a product. Or it is understood to be the removal of external constraints, as in I need the government out of my—then fill in the blank: my business, my body, and on and on.

Christian thinking about freedom is a totally different animal.

For one thing, in the Scriptures, freedom has an interesting relationship to time. Freedom is something which was present in creation, and which will be fully present again at the end of history when God brings it to its conclusion. But what about the present? The people Jesus spends time with—say, for example, the woman at the well (John 4), or Zaccheus (Luke 19) are not free but constrained, imprisoned, and encased. When Jesus rescues them, freedom begins, but even then it is lived out in the tension between the already of new life in Christ and the not yet of the fullness of the eschaton.

So apart from Christ people who think they are free need to hear the bad news that their perceived freedom is an illusion. One would like to hear more from preachers these days on this score, since they are addressing parishioners who are workaholics or poweraholics or sexaholics and/or addicts to heaven knows what else. Why is it that a group like AA seems to know more about real freedom than so many churches? Because they begin with the premise which says their members are enslaved—that is the first of the twelve steps.

And there is so much more to freedom then even this. In the Bible, real freedom moves in not one or two but three directions.

Freedom from is one piece of the puzzle—freedom from sin, from the demands of the law, from the tyranny of the urgent, from whatever constricts us from being the people God intended us to be.

Equally important, however, is freedom for, freedom for Christ, for service, for God’s justice, for ministry. Paul wonderfully describes himself as a bondservant of Christ Jesus, and the Prayer Book has it right when it says God’s service is “perfect freedom.”

Freedom with should not be missed, however. For Paul in Galatians Christian freedom is not the Christian by herself changed by the gospel. This has too much in common with the individual shopper in Walmart deciding exactly what kind of popcorn or yogurt she wants. No, real freedom is to be liberated to live for Christ with the new pilgrim people of God who reflect back a little of heaven’s light on earth. A real church is one where people enjoy koinonia, fellowship, the richness of God’s life shared into them which they then share out in Christ’s name by the power of the Holy Spirit to the world.

Paul says it wonderfully in Galatians: “For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Do not settle for anything less than this real freedom, freedom from bondage, freedom with our fellow pilgrims, and freedom for the God who made the heavens and the earth.

–The Rev. Canon Dr. Kendall Harmon is the convenor of this blog

Freedom! 😁😀👍❤️

U:Cheezeburger pic.twitter.com/sq7lYuVYc4

— Carlos Andreas (@candreas2k) May 5, 2020

Listen to it all.

Lyrics:

Most glorious Lord of life, that on this day
Didst make thy triumph over death and sin,
And having harrow’d hell, didst bring away
Captivity thence captive, us to win.
This joyous day, dear Lord, with joy begin,
And grant that we may for whom thou diddest die,
Being with thy dear blood clean wash’d from sin,
May live for ever in felicity.
And that thy love we weighing worthily,
May likewise love thee for the same again;
And for Thy sake, that all like dear didst buy,
With love may one another entertain.
So let us love, dear love, like as we ought;
Love is the lesson which the Lord us taught.
The day of resurrection! Earth, tell it out abroad;
The Passover of gladness, the Passover of God.
From death to life eternal, from earth unto the sky,
Our Christ hath brought us over, with hymns of victory. Amen.

Almighty God, Who didst bring again from the dead our Lord Jesus, and hast brought life and immortality to light with Him through the Gospel: grant that we, who are raised together with Him and are partakers of the joy and hope of His Resurrection, may daily die unto sin and walk on earth in the power of His endless life in heaven; to Whom with Thee and the Holy Spirit be praise and thanksgiving, dominion and power, both now and for evermore.

–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)

Common Carder Bee ‘Bombus pascuorum’ on Green Alkanet. This must be one of the nicest things for me, seeing bumblebees on wildflowers.”Let us linger a while…It is a glory of tender green and shaded amethyst and the grateful hum of bees, the very voice of Spring.”~A Morse Earle pic.twitter.com/8iUSv8oo9Z

— Nature Delights (@byNatDavidson) May 5, 2020

Risen Christ,
faithful shepherd of your Father’s sheep:
teach us to hear your voice
and to follow your command,
that all your people may be gathered into one flock,
to the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

“I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.” -John 10:14-15 pic.twitter.com/0tcIhern3H

— P is Social Distancing (@HighChurchQueen) December 6, 2019

We give Thee thanks, Almighty Father, Who hast delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of Thy Son: grant, we beseech Thee, that as by His death He has restored to us hope and peace, He may raise us up with Him to life eternal; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)

For those who love going to country houses to see the glory of spring, not the same but here’s my garden this morning pic.twitter.com/Wa6FamJXSz

— Richard Cox (@CllrRichardECox) May 5, 2020

Lyrics:

Jesus the very thought of You it fills my heart with love
Jesus You burn like wildfire and I am overcome

Lover of my soul even unto death
With my every breath I will love You

Jesus You are my only hope and You my prize shall be
Jesus You are my glory now and in eternity

In my darkest hour
In humiliation
I will wait for You
I am not forsaken
Though I lose my life
Though my breath be taken
I will wait for You
I am not forsaken
One thing I desire
To see You in Your beauty
You are my delight
You are my glory
You my Sacrifice
Your love is all-consuming
You are my delight
You are my glory

O Risen Lord, Who after Thy passion didst show Thyself alive unto Thine Apostles by many infallible proofs, and didst speak unto them the things that concern the kingdom of God: speak unto us also who wait upon Thee, and fill us with joy and peace in believing; that we may abound in hope, and knowing Thy will may faithfully perform it, even unto the end; through Thy grace, Who livest and reignest, Lord of the dead and of the living.

–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)

“He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.” ~ 1 Peter 3:18 #EasterSunday #Easter

🎨 Andrea Mantegna, “The Resurrection”, 1457 pic.twitter.com/78r2ILrHHi

— Dominus Venustas (@ArtistsOfBeauty) April 12, 2020

Almighty God, Who art worshipped by the heavenly host with hymns that are never silent and thanksgivings that never cease: fill our mouths with Thy praise that we may worthily magnify Thy holy Name for all the wonderful blessings of Thy love, and chiefly…[in this season] for the Resurrection of Thy Son. Grant us, with all those that fear Thee and keep Thy commandments, to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, to Whom with Thee and the Holy Ghost may praise from all the world be given, now and for evermore.

–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)

#ResurrectionSunday#DiaDeLaResurreccion

Resurrezione di Cristo
Resurrection of Christ
Annibale Carracci, 1593
Musée du Louvre,
Parigi pic.twitter.com/bch5BvG5SV

— Eve Selbst (@EveSelbst) April 16, 2017

Blessed be Thou, O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who according to Thine abundant mercy didst beget us again unto a living hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for us who are kept by Thy power through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Whom having not seen, we love; to Whom with Thee, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, be all honour and glory, praise and dominion, for ever and ever.

–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)

“When His Majesty desires the intellect to stop, He occupies it in another way and gives it a light so far above what we can attain that it remains absorbed.”

– St. Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle, IV:3.6 pic.twitter.com/rhZIARjQNq

— Msgr Brian Bransfield (@BrianBransfield) April 9, 2020

O Thou merciful and loving High Priest, who hast passed within the veil and art in the presence of the Father: Help us with thy mighty intercession, that, our unworthiness being clothed upon with thy perfect righteousness, we may stand accepted in the day of thy coming; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.

Dreamy cherry blossom trees path into spring#happiness #nature #flowers #photo pic.twitter.com/r6JUcpSiDw

— Enjoy Nature 🌻+☀️=💛 (@EnjoyNature) April 28, 2020

Enjoy it all.

Lyrics:

This joyful Easter-tide,
Away with care and sorrow!
My Love, the Crucified,
Hath sprung to life this morrow.

Had Christ, that once was slain,
Neer burst His three day prison,
Our faith had been in vain;
But now hath Christ arisen,
Arisen, arisen, arisen!

My flesh in hope shall rest,
And for a season slumber;
Till trump from east to west,
Shall wake the dead in number.

Had Christ, that once was slain,
Neer burst His three day prison,
Our faith had been in vain;
But now hath Christ arisen,
Arisen, arisen, arisen!

Deaths flood hath lost his chill,
Since Jesus crossed the river:
Lover of souls, from ill
My passing soul deliver.

Had Christ, that once was slain,
Neer burst His three day prison,
Our faith had been in vain;
But now hath Christ arisen,
Arisen, arisen, arisen!

The leader of the largest Anglican diocese in the country, Sydney Archbishop Glenn Davies has spoken of the hope Jesus brings in declaring that the joy of Easter will not be extinguished by the coronavirus.

“I was asked by a television reporter recently whether COVID-19 is the virus that killed Easter,” Archbishop Davies said in his annual Easter message. “My answer was a resounding no!”

“Like you, I am astounded by what I am seeing as each day passes. We have never experienced a crisis quite like this before. We have so many fears – unemployment, loneliness, the safety of our loved ones. Of course, the greatest fear of all from this virus is the fear of death. But the message of Easter is that death has been conquered.”

Read it all.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for all who believe in Him; to whom with thee, O Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, be ascribed all honour and glory, dominion and power, now and for evermore.

Happy Easter @WorcCathedral @CofEWorcester pic.twitter.com/0y70ORu14T

— Worcester Cathedral (@WorcCathedral) April 16, 2017

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

I greet you all in the name of our crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ!

Easter 2020 is a very unique Easter. We have never had an Easter like this where we cannot gather together to celebrate Jesus’ victory over death. At the same time, we extend our sympathies to those who have lost their dear ones, both in Uganda and outside Uganda. We especially extend our condolences to the thousands of families around the world who have lost family members to COVID-19 and stand in prayer with those who are still struggling to recover.

It was only five weeks ago that I was installed as the 9th Archbishop of the Church of Uganda. I want to sincerely appreciate the Chair of the Organizing Committee, Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa, and her entire team who worked tirelessly to bring us together to seek God’s blessing for this next season in the life of our church. I also want to appreciate all the Bishops of the Church of Uganda and the Christians for their sacrificial support, as well as the many businesses who made contributions. Finally, to His Excellency, the President of Uganda, we extend heartfelt thanks for your support that has enabled the church to be a strong development partner with the government.

During this extraordinary season, we especially appreciate the President and government’s efforts to keep Ugandans safe and well. Yes, our lives have been significantly disrupted by the closures of churches, schools, and businesses, the restrictions on movement, and the nighttime curfew. Nevertheless, we encourage all Ugandans to obey the President’s directives so together we can defeat COVID-19. We also appeal to the security organs in the country to enforce the restrictions respectfully; please do not beat your fellow Ugandans as if they were animals.

In the midst of these challenges, we appreciate the government’s efforts to distribute food to those directly impacted by the lockdown. It’s a difficult exercise and the food may not reach everyone who really needs it. As this is Easter season, however, we call upon Ugandans to do what we normally do and share the little you have with others, especially the disabled and the orphans and widows in our communities.

Read it all.

At least 120 foreign dignitaries are expected to grace the enthronement of the Archbishop-elect of the Church of Uganda, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba. https://t.co/TVrf4KAO9g | #VisionUpdates pic.twitter.com/LlXareDNYf

— The New Vision (@newvisionwire) February 26, 2020

Listen to it all.

“The Resurrection of Christ” by an unknown Bulgarian icon painter, circa between 1675 and 1700. Tempera & wood on canvas. In a collection at the Pinacoteca Vaticana, part of the Vatican Museums. pic.twitter.com/0XzOOLtaLg

— Pictures of Churches (@ChurchPictures8) April 21, 2019

The silence: deafening. Broken only by an excruciating groan from the protesting joints of a wooden chair as one of those seated shifts their weight.

No one speaks. But volumes are communicated as ashamed, bloodshot and guilt-ridden eyes meet across the room and quickly withdraw.

Suddenly, a familiar voice, clear and strong, declares, “Peace be with you.”

As if the roof were ripped off the house and the noon day sun flooded the room so their hearts were engulfed in joy.

In one glorious moment their inconsolable sorrow was unexpectantly turned to inexpressible exultation.

Read it all.

Botticelli’s Resurrection of Christ (1490) #EasterDayImages pic.twitter.com/HFZhC7SmrK

— Tim Montgomerie (@montie) March 27, 2016

God of mercy, we no longer look for Jesus among the dead, for he is alive and has become the Lord of life. From the waters of death you raise us with him and renew your gift of life within us. 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 Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

My favorite verse in the Resurrection accounts is from the Gospel of Luke, read at the Easter Vigil every third year. The angels say to the women who have come to anoint the body of Jesus, “Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised.” pic.twitter.com/teapKDo8lO

— Fr. Matt Fish (@frmattfish) April 12, 2020

When I see blossoms spring,
And hear the birds’ song,
A sweet love-longing
Entirely pierces my heart,
All for a love new
That is so sweet and true,
That gladdens all my song:
I know in truth, iwis,
My joy and all my bliss
On him is all ylong. [is all because of him]

Of Jesu Christ I sing,
Who is so fair and free, [noble]
Sweetest of all thing;
His own ought I well to be.
So far for me he sought,
With suffering he me bought,
With wounds two and three;
Well sore he was swung,
And for me with spear was stung,
Nailed to the tree.

Read it all.

A medieval spring poem for Eastertide: 'Summer is come and winter gone' https://t.co/iYgo95zYih pic.twitter.com/4glfjfCUMa

— Eleanor Parker (@ClerkofOxford) April 2, 2016

Risen Christ,
you filled your disciples with boldness and fresh hope:
strengthen us to proclaim your risen life
and fill us with your peace,
to the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

Happy fifth day of the Easter Octave! I love this painting by Rubens of Christ defeating sin and death. It’s interesting because the skull beneath his feet is sideways, which is unusual. Perhaps it represents how Jesus has transformed death. I also love … https://t.co/hvtxiWk5mO pic.twitter.com/IDb2IN0mmW

— Sr. Theresa Aletheia ☠️ (@pursuedbytruth) April 16, 2020

Be thou thyself, O Lord, we beseech thee, the shepherd of thy people; that we who are strengthened by thy risen presence may in our daily life walk with thee, and in humble trust seek to follow thee, as thou callest us by name and dost lead us out; for thy glory’s sake.

—The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: Services of Praise and Prayer for Occasional Use in Churches (New York: Oxford University Press, 1933)

pic.twitter.com/xH8nk8QGbx

— Sezgin Keskin (@sezginkeskin719) November 24, 2020