I hope that despite the challenges you continue to experience blessing and grace over the Easter season. It was a moving and yet uplifting experience to greet my neighbours in the early hours of Saturday morning as we remembered those who have given their lives for our freedoms.
I have already heard that several people are experiencing joy in the various sources of encouragement and witness on TV and the internet. I’m glad to say that our own material is being accessed and welcomed as well. Praise God for all the opportunities being taken by His church worldwide at this time to share good news, and a peace that passes understanding. I have once again registered our church community to be part of the Thy Kingdom Come prayer movement for the 10 days running up to Pentecost.
So what’s the next step? This is a question being asked increasingly by Australians as we wonder how to move forward after the encouraging downward movement of infection and the time to prepare ventilators and specific medical support for those who may be more seriously ill. Over the next few weeks, we will be exploring that question with the disciples. They continued to encounter the Risen Jesus over the 40 days. it was so hard to grasp what the implications were and what they were supposed to do with this incredible fact. So what’s next Jesus? Jesus left the upper room but the next day the disciples still needed to eat and go to the toilet and think about basic provisions. In fact, some of them decided to go back to fishing in the interim! There is a lag between an event and it’s gradual outworking. The glorious outworking of the resurrection continues to this day however that required a next step which Jesus told the disciples to wait for.
In the meantime, there was breakfast on the beach, evenings in the upper room, encounters on the way to Emmaus and an appearance to a larger gathering in one place. There were a number of eyewitnesses. We are asked to witness to Jesus and so it’s with joy that I can tell you that at the time of writing we will be running Alpha with 11 of us involved. Please do pray with me that each person is richly blessed on the course and that all the technical challenges do not get in the way.
Christ is Risen. Alleluia.