“He is not here. He is Risen!” The message of Easter is both simple and profound: Christ is risen–death could not hold Him–the tomb could not contain Him. However, contrary to what many people think, Easter doesn’t just celebrate a single day, but an entire season in the Christian calendar that begins on Easter Sunday and continues for 7 weeks.  This 7-week period is known as the Great Fifty Days. During this time, the church celebrates the risen Jesus, His post-resurrection appearances and teachings, His ascension into heaven, and the disciples’ eager anticipation of the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

The resurrection of Jesus also celebrates more than just a one-time event that occurred over 2000 years ago at a point in history. In Romans 5:10 the Apostle Paul writes, “If we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his son, just think how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrected life.” According to Paul, the resurrection of Jesus is more than just an event of the past–it has implications for our lives here and now. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us; and Easter is all about God’s ability to make all things new. Preacher Phillips Brooks puts it this way; “The great Easter truth is not that we are to live newly after death, but that we are to be new here and now by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

This 7-week Easter Season series will look at some of the implications of Jesus’ victory over death, how we can enjoy, as the Book of Common Prayer puts it, “…all the benefits of his passion,” and how we can better live the resurrected life.

SERMONS

Title:  Resurrection Faith

Preacher: The Rev. Canon Christopher Doering

Date:  Sunday, April 7, 2024 ~ The 2nd Sunday of Easter

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:14-16 and John 20:19-31

Handout:  Part 1. HO

Title:  Resurrection Blessings

Preacher: The Rev. Canon Christopher Doering

Date:  Sunday, April 14, 2024 ~ The 3rd Sunday of Easter

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3-9 and Luke 24:36-49

Handout: Part 2. HO

Title:  Resurrection Security

Preacher: The Rev. Canon Christopher Doering

Date:  Sunday, April 21, 2024 ~ The 4th Sunday of Easter

Scripture:  Ezekiel 34:1-10 and John 10:1-18

Handout:  Part 3. HO

Title:  Resurrection Consequences

Preacher: The Rev. Canon Christopher Doering

Date:  Sunday, April 28, 2024 ~ The 5th Sunday of Easter

Scripture:  1 Corinthians 15:12-34 and John 14:15-21

Handout:  Part 4. HO

Title:  Resurrection Purpose

Preacher: The Rev. Canon Christopher Doering

Date:  Sunday, May 5, 2024 ~ The 6th Sunday of Easter

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8 and Matthew 28:16-20

Handout:  Part 5.HO

Title:  Resurrection Results

Preacher: The Rev. Canon Christopher Doering

Date:  Sunday, May 12, 2024 ~ The 7th Sunday of Easter

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16 and Mark 16:9-20

Handout:  Part 6. HO