Putting together these devotional books takes many people, and I could not do these twice a year without their help.

The picture at the top was taken by John Towner and depicts the Avenue of the Giants in California. I sourced the picture from Unsplash.Com.

My fellow devotional writers are Fr. Keith Axberg, Michael Boss, Barb Cheyney, Cathey Frederick, Paul Lowe, Fr. Paul Moore, Susan Sanderson, Sue Shepherd, Nicole Smith, Ashley Sweeney, Sandy, Mary Ann Taylor, Carol Treston, and Tom Worrell.

Sandy is the reason we have a YouTube playlist this year. She graciously provided me with the lion’s share of the songs on there, and I appreciate her sharing her gifts with me.

May you have a blessed Easter. He is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Blessings to you all.
-Jen McCabe

Read: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

“Now I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast—unless you believed in vain.” – 1 Corinthians 15:1-2

Funerals are important for many reasons, but one of the biggest is that they give us a chance to take the major memories of a lost loved one, celebrate them, put them in a box with a bow, and set them on a prominent shelf in our souls. Those memories keep them alive in our hearts and in our communities.

In this passage, St. Paul reminds the Corinthians to remember what they have been told. Paul has proclaimed to them a series of stories, memories of one who was no longer in this earthly physical life. He urges them to remember, but in this case, it’s a little bit more than just keeping someone precious alive in our hearts and communities. They have found that in remembering these stories, the one who they lost is present in unexpected ways, life-giving ways, even what some would call miraculous ways. So powerful are these stories that even those who had never met him in life find that he is with them.

Easter is the great celebration of the amazing power of the story of Jesus, his teaching, his miracles, his self-giving, his death and resurrection. That resurrection lives on in those of us who, like the Corinthians, find that in recalling his stories we find that he is with us again in unexpected ways that are life-giving, even miraculous.

Loving God, this Easter day, we thank you for the gift of life you gave us in your son, Jesus Christ. May the telling of his story continue to transform us, our community and our world. We ask this in his own name, just as he taught us to do. Amen.
-Fr. Paul Moore

Read: 1 Peter 4:1-8

“The end of all things is at hand; therefore keep sane and sober for your prayers. Above all hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.” – 1 Peter 4:7-8

It is Holy Saturday today, and I am headed to a Celebration of Life. Julie, who I told you about yesterday, is originally from Everett, and her family organized a Celebration of Life here in Washington so that non-Montana folks could get together and talk about her. I am admittedly a bit nervous because it has been 14 years since I have seen Julie’s husband John, I have met her daughter only once, and I am shy at times like this.

The irony of the Celebration of Life being on Holy Saturday is not lost on me. Holy Saturday is the day when Jesus was in the tomb, and nobody outside of heaven knew that the resurrection was about to happen. Having a Celebration of Life today is a foretaste of what we will experience tonight at Easter Vigil: the surprising news that Christ is no longer in the tomb and hope is alive.
The end of all things *IS* at hand—the end of how things used to be. We know now that Christ will rise from the dead and death will no longer be final… but we do not officially know that yet, so we will still spend today quiet and remembering that day almost 2,000 years ago when it seemed like hope was gone.

O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP, p. 283)
-Jen McCabe

Read: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’” – 1 Corinthians 11:23-25

Most of us hear these words (or at least similar ones) every Sunday when we come to worship. Those of us who have been Episcopalian for a while could probably recite them in our sleep. We will commemorate the institution of the Eucharist tonight during Maundy Thursday worship, take the Eucharist, and then we will read Psalm 22 as we strip the altar. We go from celebration to solemnity in a matter of minutes.

As much as it would probably seem like we are having an ecclesiastical mood swing, this is what happened almost 2000 years ago tonight. Jesus and his twelve closest friends got together to celebrate the Passover seder, then they headed to Gethsemane, where he prayed in the garden, begging God to not make him go through with the crucifixion. As important as it is that we celebrate the Eucharist every Sunday, it is equally important that we remember this time every year because we are remembering that Jesus is fully human in addition to being fully divine. His fully human side did not want to go through a horrifically painful death alone. It gives me hope in those times when I am terrified about what is coming next to know that Jesus went through it too. It gives me hope to know that Jesus praying those agonizing prayers brought him to a place of acceptance, something that I would hope to find as well.

Gracious God, be with us in those times when we are terrified of what is coming next. Help us to remember that Jesus also had those times of fear, one of them right after he had a time of celebration with his friends. Amen.
-Jen McCabe

Read: Hebrews 12:1-3

“… let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith …” – Hebrews 12:1b

I don’t run. If I was on a trail and happened upon a hungry grizzly bear or mountain lion, I’d simply say grace and let them have at me. Oh, I’m sure I’d put up a fight. But run? No. No more. I never cared for running, even when I was young, hail, and hearty. I never reached the point in runnin’ where the endorphins would kick in (along with that mythical euphoria runners talk about). Not me. I found that if I ran to my destination, by the time it took me to catch my breath, I could have gotten there at a walk without the heavy breathing!

Well, the author of Hebrews seems to have a runner’s heart. More power to him. I don’t think his point is the speed with which one “runs,” but with having one’s attention on the journey itself. I can get behind that. I like the image of Jesus, first of all, as the pioneer. He is the trailblazer, not me. Nothing I do is new. It may be new to me, but not to God, so I simply need to follow the trail that’s been set by God’s holy ones.

Secondly, Jesus is the perfecter of our faith. Yes, I fall short. I always have; I always will. That doesn’t mean I should give up or not try. We do the best we can, knowing that when we get to the register and cash in our chips, Jesus covers any shortfall with his own Holy Debit Card. Removing our burdens like that, Jesus gives me the hope I need to carry on. He sweated it so I don’t have to. That’s what’s running through my mind as we head towards Easter, anyway.

Dear God, help me embrace the hope that is set before me by your Son, Jesus, so that I can nourish and grow in faith and love of You and your Creation. Amen.
-Fr. Keith Axberg

Read: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

“For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” – 1 Corinthians 1:19

In this passage, Paul again reminds the Christians in Corinth that they live in an upside-down world. He revisits a 700 year old message from Isaiah 29:14: “The wisdom of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.” This is not the way of the world. The Corinthians, and Christians today, need continual reminders of this truth.

The ministry of Jesus was to those who were poor and had little or no power. The “wise and powerful” Jews and Romans felt threatened by his message and ultimately killed him. After he rose from the dead, his followers continued to spread the good news that God loves us all, even the poor, oppressed, and persecuted. Spreading this message often brought them into conflict with those in power, both in the government and in the church.

In John 18:36 and elsewhere throughout the Gospels, Jesus reminds us that His kingdom is not of this world. He did not come to seek power and to be an earthly king. As followers of Christ, we are called to a kingdom of love and fellowship with God – not power and wealth.

Dear God, Help us to find our place in this upside-down world. Fill us with an understanding of our call to be both recipients of and participants in healing and restoring the world. Amen.
-Cathey Frederick