As we anticipate Easter Sunday, we are deeply conscious that we are approaching the moment in time which is the source of the resurrection hope of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
With all God’s people, we shall hear it announced on Easter Sunday morning: ‘The Lord is risen!’ and our response will be: ‘He is risen indeed!’
Alongside this, we are deeply conscious that our society is facing a challenge whose depth and scale we are only truly beginning to comprehend.
The challenge that the disciples faced on the first Easter Sunday was to comprehend the significance of the resurrection of our Lord, and thereafter to bear witness to that in the world of their day.
Our calling is to do the same, by bearing witness through acts of love and compassion.
A Prayer for Easter Sunday, 12 April 2020
Lord, it feels as if we’ve been walking in the Good Friday shadow of the cross;feeling disorientated, concerned and filled with heartache;
praying for healing for those poorly,
whether government leader or more personally known; and comfort for those bereaved;
expressing thanks for the selfless dedication of NHS staff, those delivering social care,
and everyone ensuring that essential services and supplies are maintained,
in company with those who volunteer.
Lord, as we journey on,
help us now to embrace the dawning Easter joy of the cross;
encountering, like the first disciples,
the transforming wonder of Christ’s resurrection;
accepting, like the first disciples,
that it may take time to comprehend the reality of Easter;
reflecting new life through words and deeds.
Hear us, and journey with us,
in the name of the risen Christ.
Amen.
The statement and prayer is signed by:
Rt. Rev. Colin Sinclair, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
Most Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal Church
Rev. John Fulton, Moderator, United Free Church of Scotland
Rev. Dr David Pickering, Moderator, United Reformed Church (Scotland)
Rev. Martin Hodson, General Director, Baptist Union of Scotland
Rev. Mark Slaney, District Chair, Methodist Church (Scotland)
Rev. May-Kane Logan, Chair, Congregational Federation in Scotland
Lt. Col. Carol Bailey, Secretary for Scotland, Salvation Army
Adwoa Bittle, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Rev. Jim Ritchie, District Superintendent, British Isles North District, Church of the Nazarene
Pastor Chris Gbenle, Provincial Pastor, Province of Scotland, Redeemed Christian Church of God
Bishop Francis Alao, Church of God (Scotland)/Minority Ethnic Churches Together in Scotland (MECTIS)