Contemporary Scripture Reflections for Spiritual Seekers

Dr. Elizabeth-Anne Stewart, BCC, PCC

www.elizabeth-annestewart.com

SUNDAY BIBLETALK

Easter Sunday, 2023

April 9th, 2023

Holy! Holy! Holy!

Elizabeth-Anne Stewart, C. 1993


Holy! Holy! Holy!

Chaos has fled

like a dragon from the deep;

and the world turns,

turns in the hand of God,

caressed by divine breath,

cradled by divine love,

created within and without,

turning, always turning

on the axis of grace.


Holy! Holy! Holy!

Terror takes flight

like a shadow from the deep;

and the world burns,

burns in the heart of God,

aflame with mystery,

ablaze with energy,

consecrated within, without,

burning, always burning

on the altar of love.

 

Holy! Holy! Holy!

Darkness trembles,

flees from the invading Host,

and the world shines,

shines in holy Christ-light,

blessed by the Morning Star,

sanctified by fire,

resplendent within and without,

shining, always shining

in the fullness

of God.


Holy! Holy! Holy!

All the cosmos gives glory.

Holy! Holy! Holy!

Amen.

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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION


* Where have you experienced the Risen Christ in your life?


* Which of the four Resurrection narratives speaks to you the most deeply and why?


* How might the Light of Easter illumine the darkest places of your life right now?


* To what extent do you identify with the experience of the Paschal Mystery?


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UPCOMING COURSES/ WORKSHOPS


Ways of Sacred Listening

Institute for Life Coach Training

Wednesdays, 6-7:30 PM ET

May 17th-June 28th, 2023



From VUCA to BANI: Strategies for Navigating a Changing World

Infinity Foundation

August 9th, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Zoom. Details TBA.



Lazarus and the Rich Man: Archetypes of Agony and Entitlement

Parliament of the World's Religions

Chicago, August 2023

Details TBA

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RESOURCES


Try my Spiritual Self-Assessment ToolAfter you take the Quiz, you will automatically receive a computer-generated analysis of your strengths and "growing edges." 

https://assess.coach/eastewart/


Please note that I offer: Workshops | Retreats | Life Coaching | Coach Mentoring | Spiritual Direction | Writing Coaching



www.elizabeth-annestewart.com; www.ChicagoWritingCoach.com


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PRAY

That sanity will prevail

and that all those suffering on account of the terrible conflict in Ukraine

will find the comfort and resources they need.


Thank you for sharing SBT!

Greetings, SBT Readers:


Just as we need spring to bring new life, more hours of daylight, and warmer days, so, too, we need Easter to renew our spirits. Writing on Good Friday, however, I know, too well, that there cannot be new life without death, and that the dark of winter precedes longer days. Life and death, darkness and light, winter and spring co-exist in our lives as well as in the outer world, just as Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil form part of the great drama of Christianity, the Paschal Mystery. Right now, our world is experiencing a time of unspeakable darkness, with hatred-driven violence and disregard for all life forms erupting everywhere. The threat of nuclear war is stronger than it has been in decades, while the horrific impact of climate change is decimating communities across the globe. Such times call us to be an Easter people, that is, people invested in life who are committed to toppling the engines of death. Just as Jesus broke through the walls of His tomb, so may we break through our comfort zones, ready to serve where He leads us...



Easter Blessings!


Elizabeth



SCRIPTURE REFLECTION


Link to the Sunday Readings


Early in the morning, on the first day of the week,

Mary of Magdala came to the tomb while it was still dark,

and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.

So running to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, she told them,

“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,

and we don’t know where they put him.”

Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb,

but the other disciple ran faster than Peter

and arrived at the tomb first; bending down, he saw the burial cloths lying there but did not go in.

When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths lying there, as well as the cloth that had covered his head; it was not with the burial cloths but was rolled up in a separate place. Then the disciple who had arrived at the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed.

For they still did not understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.

Jn 20:1-9


How does one describe the ineffable? In other words, how do we begin to explain that which cannot be explained-- great mysteries like Incarnation, the Trinity, and Easter? Stories, symbols, witness accounts, and inspired writing all help us communicate those things we store in our hearts, but they never fully exhaust the layers of meaning we long to share. As T.S. Eliot wrote in "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets, "Words strain, Crack and sometimes break, under the burden, Under the tension, slip, slide, perish, Decay with imprecision, will not stay in place, Will not stay still." Instead, words leave us with a collage of hints and guesses, and with the desire to learn more, understand more, live more deeply, and speak more precisely.


And so it is when we try to articulate the foundational story of our faith-- that for our sake Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. Now, it is not the first part of this excerpt from the Nicene Creed that is the problem; after all, there have been countless representations of the Passion and Death of Jesus in every conceivable genre. Artists not only have the benefit of scriptural accounts of Jesus' last days but also historical records which detail Jewish life under the Romans. When it comes to the Resurrection, however, we don't have the same visuals to rely on -- and there were no eyewitnesses to the exact moment when Jesus burst forth from the tomb. Instead, we must be willing to embrace Mystery and rely on experience rather than physical evidence. Our task, then, is to witness the ways in which the disciples experienced the Risen Christ and then to identify how we ourselves experience him in our C21st lives.


In John's account of the empty tomb, for example, Mary of Magdala arrives in the dark and leaves distraught (Jn 20:1-9). Because she sees only the gaping entrance to Jesus' tomb, she jumps to the conclusion that his body has been moved or stolen; instead of exploring further, she runs to inform Peter, unwittingly turning her back on the Mystery that is waiting to illumine and comfort her. In contrast, Peter and the other disciple actually enter the tomb, and it is there that they believe that Jesus has indeed risen. Most likely, it is not so much the piles of linen bindings that help them believe but the sense that something so powerful has taken place that even the temperature in the tomb has changed. They see and believe because they are filled with fear and trembling, overwhelmed not by the emptiness of the tomb, but by the energy still lingering there. Now, of course, this is conjecture on my part, but it is quite plausible that they know Jesus has risen because they feel it -- and their hearts are bursting with joy.


The narrative continues beyond our Gospel reading, presenting us with one of the most tender scenes in the Christian scriptures. Still weeping, Mary Magdalene finally peers into the tomb. Even the sight of two angels fails to amaze her; her refrain doesn't change: "They have taken my Lord away, and I don't know where..." Then, mistaking Jesus for the gardener, she asks if he has taken away her Lord; it is only when Jesus addresses her by name that she recognizes him. Filled with joy, she runs to proclaim to the disciples that she has seen the Lord...


Each in their own way, the four Gospel accounts describe how the disciples experience Jesus' Resurrection. Miraculous happenings, angelic visitations, disbelief, amazement, terror, and even Mary Magdalene's direct encounter with Jesus are woven seamlessly into the texts, leaving us not with a "fact sheet," but with an impressionistic painting that evokes deep emotions. But our faith is not based solely on these narratives; even more importantly, it is our own experiences of the Risen Christ that assure us that the Cross is not the end of the story."Where do we encounter him?" you might ask. "How do we know he is with us when we neither see angels, hear voices, nor hear him call us by name?" I would respond with another question: "But where do you see him, hear him and feel his Presence?"


He is there in our waking and sleeping, in our dreaming and working, in our playing and studying, in our grieving, and in moments of joy. He is there in absolute darkness and in absolute light; He is there, too, in times of transition, when discouragement gives way to enthusiasm, when fear turns to courage, when apathy becomes energy, when hate yields to love, when impossibilities become possibilities. He is there when we leave behind all that is death-dealing to embrace what is life-giving; He is there when we struggle and when we fail, when we fall and when we need someone to pick us up. He calls us by name when we feel drawn to a new career path, or volunteer work, or a new way of relating to others. And, most profoundly, He is there when we pray, when our hearts burn within us, and we feel His love so deeply that nothing can convince us of His absence.


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SPIRITUAL DIRECTION &

 LIFE COACHING

This video explains my approach to this ministry, while my website provides further details as well. Most sessions are on Zoom; I am also available to facilitate in-person or "virtual" retreats for groups and individuals.

Spiritual Direction

Dr. Elizabeth-Anne Stewart | www.elizabeth-annestewart.com | e.a.stewart@sbcglobal.net


C. All Photos by Elizabeth-Anne Stewart, www.artfulphotographer.com

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