March
Revd Alan Sowerbutts writes…….
Dear Friends,
We often hear the opinions 'Easter is early this year’ or 'Easter is late this year'. I've heard one or other of these so often that I sometimes wonder if there is a normal time for Easter! The Book of Common Prayer gives us two tables that we can use to calculate the date of Easter. It's complicated but it can be done - and it works!
Some people are advocating fixing the date of Easter. I would be against this but space precludes me from expanding on my reasons.
We can argue the merits or otherwise of fixing Easter, but we must never lose sight of what we are celebrating. Whatever the date of Easter we as Christians believe that the events we celebrate happened, and that they were life-changing not only for Jesus' disciples but for all his followers. Without the resurrection of Jesus the Christian faith would fall apart. This is not only because the Christian faith depends on the truth of Easter.
Without Easter Christianity would be difficult to distinguish from other religions. Those who think that all religions are the same have not grasped the significance of Easter (or of Christmas for that matter).
As Jesus rose from the dead on that Sunday so His new life is offered to his followers. God as Jesus allowed us to do our worst to Him and Jesus prayed "Father, forgive them." In this prayer is enshrined the answer to any awkward question that we may ask when we wonder what God is about or whether he is there at all. On Easter day Jesus rose above it all demonstrating that God is supreme.
God is supreme and we as Jesus' followers are offered a place in this new life which he entered.
When we say, "Alleluia, Christ is risen!" this is what we mean.
May we all have a blessed Easter and be renewed in our faith thereby.
Yours as ever,
Alan