Coronavirus Response

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Cross & Flame Logo

Lent 2021

  • Discipleship
    • Christian Formation
      • Children
      • Church & Society
      • College
      • Creation Care
      • Differently Abled Persons
      • Older Adults
      • Spiritual Formation
      • Status & Role of Women
      • Young Adults
      • Youth
    • Church Revitalization
      • Coaching
      • Disciple Making Way
      • Evangelism
      • Grants
      • MissionInsite
      • Shift
    • From the Bishop
      • Church Transformation
      • Conflict Transformation
    • Multicultural
      • Anti-Racism
      • Asian
      • Hispanic-Latinx
      • Native American
      • Strengthening the Black Church
    • Stewardship
      • Apportionments
      • District Remittances
      • Financial Discipleship
      • Grants
      • Insurance
      • Mission & Service
      • Pension
      • Treasurer Training
  • Leadership
    • Bishop’s Office
      • Appointment Book
      • Church Transformation
      • Conflict Transformation
    • Office of Clergy Life
      • Board of Ordained Ministry
      • Called to Ministry?
      • Extension Ministries
    • Board of Laity
      • Certified Lay Minister
      • Lay Servant Ministries
      • Local Church Lay Leaders
      • United Methodist Men
      • United Methodist Women
      • United Methodist Youth
    • New Faith Comm.
      • New Room Society
      • Our Communities
    • Conference Offices
      • Center for Leadership Excellence
      • Christian Formation
      • Communications
      • Conference Secretary
      • Connectional Ministries
      • Information Technology
      • Multicultural Ministries
      • Outreach Ministry
      • Treasurer’s Office
  • Service
    • Local Outreach
      • Afghan Refugees
      • Church Construction
      • Church Loans
      • Congregations for Children (C4C)
      • Creation Care
      • Cross & Key Prision Ministries
      • Health Ministry
      • Restorative Justice and Mercy
      • Seed Funds
      • Mission Projects
    • Global Outreach
      • Love for Liberia
      • Missionaries
      • NCC UMVIM
      • Project AGAPE
      • Sierra Leone: Mission of Hope
      • ZOE
    • Disaster Ministries
      • Donate to Storm Response
      • MERCI
      • Response Plan
      • Response Team
      • Training
      • UMCOR Kits
    • Giving
      • 2021 District Christmas Offering
      • Advance/Rainbow Covenant
      • Apportionments
      • Give to Storm Response
      • Mission & Service
      • The Gary Wayne Locklear Mission Endowment
      • New Room Society
      • Special Sundays
    • Ministry Partners
      • Boy Scouts of America (BSA)
      • Camps & Retreats
      • NC Institute for Spiritual Direction and Formation
      • Partners In Ministry
      • Robeson Co. Church & CC
      • UMF
  • Resources
    • Conferences
      • Annual Conference 2021
      • Annual Conference 2022
      • Charge Conference 2021
      • General Conference
      • Pilgrimage
      • SEJ Conference 2016
    • Media Center
      • Catalog
      • Labyrinth
      • Ministry Tools
      • Online Resources
      • Weekly Newsletter
    • Online Resources
      • Anti-Racism
      • Archives & History
      • #BeUMC
      • Church Lookup
      • Disaffiliation Information
      • Green Church Initiative
      • Online Data Collection
      • Online Learning
      • Pastor Lookup
      • Ramus: Web Hosting
      • Video (Vimeo)
    • Publications
      • Appointment Book
      • Bible Study
      • Conference Directory
      • Conference Journal
      • Every Day Grace
      • Lenten Reflections
      • Mission & Service
      • Podcasts (NCCUMC.FM)
    • From UMC.org
      • Agencies
      • Communications
      • Discipleship
      • Finance & Administration
      • Global Ministries
      • Graphics Library
      • Relief
      • Status & Role of Women
  • Lent 2021

Easter Sunday – Bishop Hope Morgan Ward

April 4, 2021

“The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.“ - Isaiah 58:11

Alleluia! The Lord is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!

Joyful Easter greetings resound from a garden, well-watered, in an arid land. Jesus was crucified in a garden. In the garden was a new tomb. Mary came to the garden. Weeping, she saw Jesus but thought he was the gardener. The word garden echoes evocatively in John’s Easter account.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ, our greatest story, takes place in a garden. The creation described in Genesis is all around as God gives the gift of Easter life. Taking the long view from the Easter garden, we press onward in faith to the river-bank orchard for the healing of the nations in the culmination of the book of Revelation.

Isaiah 58 anticipates resurrection: God will say, “Here I am!” Light will rise in the darkness. God’s people will be like a watered garden, like a spring of water that never fails. Bones will be strong. Hungry people will be fed. The ruins will be repaired. Streets will be restored. Sabbath rest will be given and honored.

Rejoice this day, Easter people! “Walk with gladness in the morning, see what love can do and dare” (UMH 307). This Easter day, we celebrate the intent of God. God intends for this whole world to be a garden where love, justice, joy, and peace abound. We are gardeners with God and nurturers of the New Creation, doing and daring alongside the Risen Christ.

Alleluia! The Lord is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!

Prayer

Almighty God, you give us the joy of celebrating our Lord’s resurrection. Give us also the joys of life in your service and bring us at last to the full joy of life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

NC Conference of The United Methodist Church · 700 Waterfield Ridge Place · Garner, NC 27529
Phone: 919.779.6115 · Toll-free: 800.849.4433 · Fax: 919.773.2308


Copyright © 2022 · Privacy Policy · Powered by WordPress · Log in