"He has been raised; He is not here."
--Mark 16:6
He is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!
For years, the Christian congregation of my childhood held an Easter sunrise service at Memorial Cemetery in Fremont, Nebraska. Worshippers drove in and parked along the winding lanes. Car seats became pews, and the bell tower became the pulpit. Leaving the cemetery was a considerable image in itself. The departure from that place proclaimed the message of Easter -- that death does not have the last word. Death is left behind. New life -- purchased and won by the crucified and risen Jesus -- is the order of the day.
My mother, my grandparents, and a number of family friends are buried at Memorial Cemetery. I remember riding my bike on the adjacent road as I headed to the golf club as a boy. My loved ones were still alive then. Now, they are gone. My confidence is that they are with the Lord. They are part of the communion of saints for which Christ blazed the trail.
Can I "prove" this to you in an age that all but demands verification? No. Can you look through my eyes and into my heart to see if I really mean it? No. I can only proclaim it, with the "it" being the greatest news the world has ever heard: death was beaten at its own game, and the fruits of that victory are yours!
Sing we to our God above! Alleluia!
Praise eternal as His love! Alleluia!
Praise Him all ye heav'nly host! Alelluia!
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Alleluia!
Amen.
PD
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