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“[Jesus] presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.” Acts 1:3
Easter Sunday begins a period of time known as the “Great Fifty Days,” or the “Eastertide.” Eastertide, or Easter Time, Paschaltide, the “Paschal Season,” or “Paschal Time” is the fifty-day period following Easter Sunday and ending at Pentecost. During the Easter season, Jesus appeared to and taught the Disciples and followers prior to the Ascension. Jesus ascended on the fortieth day of the Easter Season, and ten days later the Disciples were gathered for Shavuot, when the Holy Spirit descended upon them. Shavuot, meaning “weeks,” was a celebration of the first fruits of the harvest and the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. This was a fifty-day celebration during which the First Fruits of the Spirit were given to the Disciples, just as the fulfillment of the Law was given to them in the person of the Risen Christ. The day of Pentecost, meaning fifty, is the last day of Shavuot. The time between Easter and Pentecost was a time of celebration and learning for the Disciples, and it is still so for us. Paschaltide is an opportunity for us to cultivate a spirit of joy, living without fear as we see the world again for the first time–as with new eyes. Live with Joy Joy of the Lord is a deep spiritual connection to Christ that cannot be taken away, even in the midst of sorrow. The Passion and Resurrection of Jesus teach us that suffering is transformed through faith in the Risen Christ. With this faith, we are able to hold on to an enduring sense of joy even in the midst of the sadness we experience from the loss of a loved one, a failure to achieve an important goal, a setback during recovery from an illness, or a personal crisis. Live without Fear The Resurrection teaches us that God can overcome anything, even death (physical and spiritual). When the Risen Christ appears to the women at the tomb and later to his disciples, his first words are “Do not be afraid!” (Mt 28:5,10) These words speak to our hearts, helping us cope with the fear from the loss of a job, a serious illness, or a crumbling relationship, or cultural upheaval. Our faith allows us to trust that God can overcome our most serious problems. Live with New Eyes Easter means to live with a sense of newness. Just as the return of spring lifts our spirits and makes us feel like the whole world is new, the Resurrection of Jesus makes “all things new.” (Rev. 21:5) The Easter spirit is a spirit of renewal that enables us to show up at work with a positive attitude, to renew relationships that have been taken for granted, and to express appreciation and affection to those closest to us. It means to see the world through new eyes—God's eyes. These fifty days are Jesus' gift to us to read again the experience of the Disciples and to join with them in their growth in God. Embrace this gift and pursue this opportunity as Christ pursues you. Embrace joy, live without fear, and see, in Him all things are made new. Through eyes that see, Fr. Bill+
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Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Happy Easter to all. Our most precious and highest feast of the Christian year has arrived, Easter–the Passover of our Lord! We celebrate Christ’s resurrection–new life born from the old–not only as the celebration of Emmanuel fulfilling the prophecy of old, but as the promise of our new life in Him. The promise of Easter is hope, and not just hope as a possibility, but as a promise. Today, and many years before, our world has been in the depths of chaos, division, poverty, and violence. Where in this world can we turn to find peace and tranquility? How can we pull ourselves out from the toxicity that is weighing us down? The answer is the same then as it is now: we surrender to the risen Christ. The act of self-surrender is something that we have to consciously follow every day. When we consciously try to live a life that is pleasing to God, then we will slowly see our center and order even in the most hopeless situation. New beginnings, at times, demand a logistical move, but this hope is not contingent on money, place, or power. Our hope is found in the focus of our hearts. This may seem a monumental task, but you must remember, in this we are not taking on a thing, but letting go of everything. We are blessed by God to have God as our companion through life and through our relinquishment. Remember, nothing is impossible with God! Relinquishing ourselves to God is the beginning of joy, and joy changes everything. I pray you all have a blessed Easter season and find that, though times may bring wreck and ruin, in Christ Jesus there is light and life forevermore. "Yesterday I was crucified with Him; today I am glorified with Him; yesterday I died with Him; today I am quickened with Him; yesterday I was buried with Him; today I rise with Him. But let us offer to Him Who suffered and rose again for us— you will think perhaps that I am going to say gold, or silver, or woven work or transparent and costly stones, the mere passing material of earth, that remains here below, and is for the most part always possessed by bad men, slaves of the world and of the Prince of the world. Let us offer ourselves, the possession most precious to God, and most fitting; let us give back to the Image what is made after the Image. Let us recognize our Dignity; let us honour our Archetype; let us know the power of the Mystery, and for what Christ died." “Let us become like Christ, since Christ became like us. Let us become God’s for His sake, since He for our sake became Man. He assumed the worse that He might give us the better; He became poor that we through His poverty might be rich, He took upon Him the form of a servant that we might receive back our liberty; He came down that we might be exalted; He was tempted that we might conquer; He was dishonored that He might glorify us; He died that He might save us; He ascended that He might draw to Himself we who were lying low in the Fall of sin. Let us give all, offer all, to Him Who gave Himself a Ransom and a Reconciliation for us. But one can give nothing like oneself, understanding the Mystery and becoming for His sake all that He became for ours.” St. Gregory the Theologian - Homily on Pascha 326 AD. Christ is Risen! Fr. Bill+ Stations of the Cross: Why walk the Via Dolorosa?
From the earliest days, followers of Jesus told the story of his passion, death and resurrection. When pilgrims came to see Jerusalem, they were anxious to see the sites where Jesus was. These sites become important holy connections with Jesus. Eventually, following in the footsteps of our Lord along the Via Dolorosa - the Way of Sorrows - became a part of the pilgrimage visit. Stations, as we know them today, came about when it was no longer easy or even possible to visit the holy sites – the world’s first “virtual” pilgrimage, if you will. In the 1500s, villages all over Europe started creating replicas of the Via Dolorosa by placing small shrines at intervals along their own streets commemorating the places along Christ’s walk to Calvary. Today, the Stations of the Cross are found all over Christendom and are a traditional act of devotion during Holy Week. And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor. Matt 27:2 The Stations of the Cross is the traditional route in Jerusalem on which Jesus traveled from the judgment seat of Pilate, also called the Praetorium, to the place of his crucifixion on Mount Calvary. After his judgment by Pontius Pilate, Jesus was beaten, mocked, and spit upon by the Roman soldiers. Then he was forced to carry his own cross through the streets of Jerusalem to Golgotha, where he was crucified. The Via Dolorosa traditionally consists of fourteen Stations marking fourteen incidents that took place along the way. Biblical readings, commentaries, and reflection accompany visual representations of Jesus’ ordeal. Traditionally, the fourteen stations are these: 1. Jesus is condemned to death. 2. Jesus is given His cross. 3. Jesus falls down for the first time. 4. Jesus meets His mother Mary. 5. Simon of Cyrene is forced to carry the cross. 6. Veronica wipes blood off of Jesus’ face. 7. Jesus falls down for the second time. 8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem. 9. Jesus falls down for the third time. 10. Jesus is stripped of His clothing. 11. Jesus is nailed to the cross – the Crucifixion. 12. Jesus dies on the cross. 13. Jesus’ body is removed from the cross – the Deposition or Lamentation. 14. Jesus’ body is placed in the tomb. At Creator, we are blessed to have fourteen beautiful hand-painted wood plaques depicting the Way of Sorrows. They were a gift from Sandy Wainwright, whose husband, William E. Wainright, an accomplished artist, painted some forty years ago. The artistry is beautiful, but the images are hard to look at. This is not a light, flowery time of devotion; this is a walk alongside Jesus through his turmoil and death. So why do it? Why walk the Via Delarosa? Praying and meditating upon the suffering of our Lord is a powerful and humbling act of love. Love is what God gave when we were made, love is what God expressed from the Cross, love is the light which shines in the darkness of our lives. God the Son endured pain, torment, and torture for all of humankind so that we human beings would be spared such a fate. The Stations of the Cross reflect our lives back upon us as we realize that our sins are counted as part of the reason why Jesus was crucified. How can we not draw closer to God knowing that our lives - personally - caused the greatest suffering the world has ever known. We, however, are not left with this. Praying the Stations of the Cross brings us face to face with suffering - his and our own. We look at Jesus’ suffering in his travail and we know we are not alone in our suffering. Jesus' suffering is absolute and in every way an offering to the Father of love for the other. His reliance upon the Father is the gift he has given us. In the heart of his story is our own, and through his example we are able to look to our Lord for that strength and comfort during times of suffering in our lives. Suffering is not meaningless. Through the love of God, it can be transformed and redeemed. That is what the Stations of the Cross show us. Everyone suffers, and so we have this beautiful meditative example – this beautiful prayer in the Stations of the Cross - to show us how to endure it. We know that when we enter into suffering, we have a choice. We have a choice in how we respond. I invite you to really step into this meditation, to pray with it, to walk it, to really dig in, to put yourself there along the path of the Via Dolorosa, and allow our Lord to show you how to endure. Allow the Father to imbue you with strength, and wisdom, and grace, and mercy, so that you might serve better. We are gathering tomorrow, Wednesday night at 6:00 at the Church to walk the Way of Sorrows with our Lord. Please join us. Peace along the Way, Fr. Bill+ Holy Week
Observance for life Holy Week is a very special time during the last week of Lent in which the specific events of the Passion are singled out and emphasized. Personally and liturgically, we travel the spiritual road to sublime fulfilment through pain and loss to absolute victory and fulfilment. The services of Holy Week coincide as closely as possible with the events of Jesus' last days. That is why the week is "holy" at all - because it is "set apart." Marking these days is of great spiritual importance as we anticipate that final washing away of the Lenten ash imposed some forty days ago. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, when Jesus entered Jerusalem amidst a huge demonstration of support by the common people. Many thought he was going to declare himself a Messiah in the tradition of the conquering Maccabees, whose rebellion against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BC temporarily restored the glory of the Jewish nation. Others believed him to be the Messiah of the Davidic tradition, coming to liberate the people by divine power and war. Still others thought him to be a messianic prophet or a messiah of retribution such as Moses. No matter the expectations, belief and hope propelled all to hail him along the road of his triumphant entry. It was an ironic celebration, as many of those who hailed Jesus as King this day would demand his death just five days later. Holy Week observances continue on Wednesday with the Stations of the Cross, followed by the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday night services. Holy Saturday is a day of reflection and preparation—a time to stop in the eye of the storm. Holy Week delivers us to Easter Sunday, when we gather for a Festal Eucharist proclaiming Jesus' resurrection and our salvation. Soon will our corporate Alleluias sound again! The services of Holy Week are the heart of our corporate observance; however, each day is an opportunity for each of us to reflect personally on the Passion of our Lord. Here below are some of the key passages of Scripture for you to reread and keep close at heart as you prepare for the Day of Resurrection.
Each year we gather during this special week of observance to immerse ourselves in the truth of sacrifice and the example of supreme love. The church has provided this time for us to receive this love and to accept this sacrifice anew, with open hearts and wanting spirits. Come. Come to God in spirit. Use what the Church has provided and accept the Christ as He is. Together our love for each other, in the light of His love for us, can break the bonds that hold us and set us free to accept the saving grace of God. Faithfully in Christ, Fr. Bill+ Dear Creator Family,
In 2017, the Creator Preschool closed. Our preschool was a vibrant and cherished extension of our parish. The school worked with Creator and represented the best of our intentions for education and Christian exposure to the young. It was a sad event when the school closed, collapsing under its own weight, and left us with gap in our ministry (and an empty building). After the school closed, we had many discussions about re-starting the school, but COVID dashed our efforts. Rekindling the flame, Your Vestry decided to start direct efforts to find a school in need of a place. In the past two years, I have conducted interviews and led tours for various schools looking for a new home. Early last year, I met Karri Messina, who was feeling God’s call to start a school. I joined Karri in her enthusiasm as I too felt a rightness about her path, but starting at Creator didn’t work out. Karri traveled an amazing spiritual journey over the past year and returned to Creator with God’s call clearly affirmed. I was excited to see and hear how God had led her over the year and to reflect on how God has brought us together. Affirming her vision and rekindling ours, I am overjoyed to announce the opening of the Oak Tree Christian Montessori School at Creator. I have met with Karri several times over the past weeks and began the BIG process of preparation. I have begun repairs on the play yard fence and gates, and Will cleaned all the debris out of the play yard and around the entire hall. Terri Legars has volunteered to be the Vestry liaison to the school and has met with Karri also. Additionally, a BIG thank you to Terri and family, Hannah, Kayla, Hayden, and nephew Sam, who scoured the property for trash and debris. Karri has begun the move-in process, painting and preparing for the kids on September 1st. With much joy and thanksgiving to God, we are working together to make this happen, and we need help. If you can lend a hand, please let me know as we seek God’s guidance with joyful anticipation of the big day! Always learning, Fr. Bill+ |
AuthorFather Bill Burk† Archives
May 2025
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