Rector's Easter 2019 Message
An Easter Message from
the Rev. Philip DeVaul
I write to you with a full heart as we draw near to Easter – that great celebration of God’s victory over Death. Easter is the glorious reminder that we belong completely and utterly to the God of Love; that nothing we can do, and nothing that’s been done to us can change the fundamental truth of our belovedness. We are redeemed, recovered, and restored into the fullness of relationship with our Maker. The resurrection of Jesus has changed our lives and transformed the world. On Easter we come together and sing and pray and proclaim and hold fast to one another, and in all this we are swept up into the magnificent Love of our Creator by the power of Jesus Christ.
Since you’re reading an Easter message from a priest, chances are you’re pretty churchy. Thus, you are familiar with the idea that Jesus is our Savior. Often, though, we churchy people think only of what Jesus has saved us from. But that is only a part of the story. Remember also that Jesus saved us for something: We were saved for each other. For God’s sake, I belong to you and you belong to me. In the name of Jesus we are freed to live into authentic relationships of real love. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are sustained daily as we live into the purpose of our shared life. In His death and resurrection, Jesus has rescued us from the power of Evil and has delivered us into each other’s arms.
During Lent we have focused our attention specifically on the work of racial and environmental reconciliation. We have not done this to be politically trendy or provocative. Understanding more fully how to build relationships across traditional racial and cultural boundaries is holy work. Learning how to love God’s creation the way God does is holy work. Both of these endeavors are born from the recognition that belonging to each other in Jesus’ name means something for how we live right now.
Living into the truth that we belong to each other, that we are meant to share the love we’ve been given, empowers this Church as we embrace and are challenged by our Vision Statement.
This Easter, I invite you to celebrate with us, your worshiping community. I invite you to remember that the salvation we celebrate is not just from Death but for Life. I invite you to find yourself in our Vision Statement. And then, with all the love in my heart, I invite you to pray that God will reveal to you your part in the next chapter of Redeemer’s life. You are indispensable to God, and you are indispensable to this community. May God’s Love overwhelm you this Easter season, and may you share that Love with everyone you meet, in Jesus’ name.
Your friend and brother in Christ Jesus,
Philip Hart DeVaul
