The Most Rev. John T. Cahoon, Jr.
Metropolitan, Anglican Catholic Church

 Given Easter Day, April 23, 2000 at St. Andrew & St. Margaret of Scotland

I approach writing my Easter sermon with the same trepidation with which I approach writing a sermon for Christmas Eve. The hymns are great, the vestments and the flowers are diverting, there is something gratifying about having lots of people in church, and there is the promise of good food and drink and even presents when church is over. It seems that on one of the two biggest days in the church year, all a sermon can possibly do is ruin it.

If I ever really get stuck, Easter provides a wide range of crowd-pleasing topics. I could talk about how eggs symbolize new life, and how a chick cracking through its shell makes us think of Jesus coming out of his tomb. Or I could tell you the legend of the woman who came back from the Jerusalem market just before sundown on a spring Friday afternoon, and stopped at the foot of the cross, and Jesus bled into her basket and onto her eggs, which is why we color eggs at Easter.

Or I could tell you that it is perfectly o.k. to share my fascination with the Easter Bunny, because rabbits are a symbol of life, too. I could even flame on about how new Easter clothing also represents the fresh start springtime gives us, and also puts us in mind of the white robes newly baptized people wore on Easter in the ancient church.

But there is really only one important thing to say on Easter, and that is that God has raised Jesus from death. Jesus, who was dead on Friday afternoon, was alive again on Sunday morning. He was not alive in some misty, spiritual, emotional, good vibrations sort of way he was alive in a body.

It was a body that could eat, a body that could be touched, a body that was recognizably related to the body that was crucified but it was a new kind of body: a body that could appear and disappear at will; a body that could make its way through walls — even the walls of a tomb.

The resurrection of the flesh is not something we just believe happened to Jesus. If we are baptized into Jesus' body, God will raise us from death too. We will be resurrected in bodies at the last day to go to heaven to enjoy God at his heavenly banquet forever.

The ultimate good news of Easter is that because Jesus rose from the dead in his body, and we are going to rise from the dead in our bodies, then in the long run everything is going to be all right. Everything. "All things work together for good to them that love God." All things. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." All. "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God."
 

Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast.
Not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but
with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Please click here to give an Easter offering to St. Andrew & St. Margaret of Scotland Church

Upcoming Events
Easter Sunday 7:15 a.m.: Striking of the New Fire followed by
Easter Sunday Services, 7:45, 9:00 & 11:15 AM nursery care provided during 9 & 11:15 AM services  (for online participation for the services go to: https://www.facebook.com/saintsofscotland/ ) 

Easter Egg Hunt. 10:30 AM

Wednesday at Noon – Holy Communion

Men's Group, April 23, 8:30 AM, Church undercroft, Breakfast, Fellowship, & Bible study
 
Vestry meeting, Monday April 25, 7:30 PM, undercroft

Please remember to pray for everyone on the parish's prayer list that is in the attached bulletins.

Your Food Donations are Greatly Needed
Please help this month with a food donation if you are able. Christ House is very thankful for the food we provide to them each month. Please also buy low sugar cereals (and not the kid's types that have lots of sugar).  Current needs include the following:
• canned meats (chicken, corned beef, spam)
• peanut butter
• jelly
• tuna
• canned vegetables (corn, green beans - (regular and low sodium)
• individual fruit cups (low sugar)
• canned fruit (low sugar)
• cereal (low sugar)
• pasta (regular and gluten-free)
• instant potatoes
• Macaroni & cheese kits
• Coffee, cooking oil, flour, sugar 

MaRIH Center is also in great need of our help  (crisis pregnancy center)
MaRIH Center with its all volunteer staff has been providing help to mothers-to-be and mothers in need.  If you can provide some of the items that are needed, please do so. (You can leave the donations where the food for the food bank is collected on the pew in the undercorft.)

Especially Needed
Baby wipes (an ongoing great need)
Diapers (sizes 1, 4, 5, & 6)
Similac Advanced Formula
Batteries (all sizes)

 

 
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Our mailing address is:
St. Andrew & St. Margaret of Scotland
1607 Dewitt Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301-1625