OPINION: Re-energised by Easter Faith

By Rev Chris Sparks

MILLIONS of books. Millions of sermons. That's how comprehensively the message of Easter has been dealt with over the centuries.

It's enough to make this scribe break out into a cold sweat as a glance at the calendar confirms this week's reflection should focus on Easter.

Anxiety sets in. What can I say that hasn't already been said? How can I convey the incredible, life-changing story of Easter in a way that will connect with people where they're at in their contemporary lives? How can I present something that will be fresh and relevant through the relatively few words I'm privileged to share here?

A PowerPoint slide-show erupts inside my head. My mind begins to focus on memories of Easters celebrated in earlier years. Scenes flash by of poignant moments of solemn reflection as I participate with others in re-enactments of Jesus washing the disciples' feet on the night of his arrest. Then there are the slides of Good Friday services - of deeply loved hymns sung passionately in remembrance of Jesus' death on the cross. Hard on the heels of these come the brightest slides yet, showing incredible scenes of celebration as the tomb in which Jesus' body was interred stands empty and desolate, testifying to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Joyful singing and eyes shiny with laughter and hope characterise these happy occasions.

Most of the slides are set in conventional, churchy places. But not all. Many show how we've celebrated Easter with simple, outdoor, sunrise services at places like Pilot Hill in Yamba and local lookouts at Orange and Broken Hill. Then there are the very special Easter celebrations on sheep and cattle properties embedded within outback areas where there are few ecclesiastical trimmings - just good, honest, hard-working families who suspend their daily routines just long enough to acknowledge the power of difference the life of that one man, Jesus, has made to the world.

This colourful and joyful PowerPoint presentation within my head eases my anxiety somewhat. But I'm still grappling with the challenge of how I convey the deep, deep significance of Easter through this column.

I know what it means to me. But its significance is truly mind-boggling and difficult to summarise without resorting to well-worn clichs and churchy language.

And then it happens. I realise I don't really need to spell out the significance of the events of that first Easter. Many more eloquent than I have done that over the years. Instead, I'll simply announce the glorious, pivotal Easter message - "Christ is Risen" - and invite everyone to run their own PowerPoint presentation of bygone Easters. And even if, for many people in more recent times, Easter has been largely about having a break from work, eating Easter eggs and travelling to enjoy some special event, there will probably be some slides, somewhere, that bring to mind aspects of the Easter story we have learned in the past - truths that have touched our spirits and caused us to respond. And when that happens, I pray that God will use that recollection to bless and challenge us so that we are once more re-energised by the hope that springs from Easter-biased faith.

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OPINION: Re-energised by Easter Faith