Scripture: John 20:1-18

Sermon: “Eyes to See”

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Prayer

Lord, the tomb is an odd place for us to find you: your hope, comfort, love, joy. It is a mysterious meeting place. As a portal between life and death, perhaps it is a perfect door for us to use to exit one life and enter a new life. But we will need you to go through. At any tomb we have traveled a sorrowful road and encountering death. We have trouble trusting we will find life and joy on that road. You bid us to go, but we expect only endings. Surprise us by showing that joy and sorrow, life and death are all bound up together: that for everything there is a season. Maybe this is Easter. Knowing that life knows death, but will not fear it. Maybe it is Easter knowing that joy holds hands with sorrow.

We hear this message and there is still fear in us. Lord, is this Easter too? Life triumphs, love conquers fear?
We are yours. We will allow mystery to be a part of it all as well. But for the hearts that mourn, sorrow, despair, are lonely and exhausted – let them find Easter. Grant they see Jesus risen and loving them. Grant the empty space in their life is filled with you. Help us to move into Easter.
Amen