From my book Daily Prayer 2a celebration of the Easter message that, in Christ, God each day makes all things new.
Read
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whose inestimable mercy we have been born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is incorruptible, unspoiled and unfading. 1 Peter 1:3, 4
Ponder
Back in 1970 The Carpenters had a song in the charts titled ‘We’ve only just begun’. The upbeat title masked a tragic irony, for beneath the surface all was not well with lead singer Karen Carpenter. Just a few years later, in 1974, and aged just 24, she was rushed to hospital, her health undermined by the slimming disease anorexia, and nine years later, following a cardiac arrest, she was dead. Her story cruelly illustrates the promise yet pathos of life. Our brief span on earth offers so much that is special, yet alongside it lurks the spectre of disillusionment, heartbreak, suffering and death, the knowledge that in this life nothing lasts for ever.
And yet the title of that song offers a simple but wonderful synopsis of the message at the heart of the gospel. Whoever we are, whatever we face, God holds out the prospect of a fresh start, of new horizons that beckon us onwards. It’s true in this life, each day by his grace being a new beginning. It’s true even in the face of death, for we have been born again to a new and living hope, of life extending beyond this world to a kingdom that has no end. We live each moment in the context of the God who makes all things new; the God who enables us confidently to declare: we’ve only just begun.
Ask yourself
In what ways does God bring new beginnings? Do you still see each day as a fresh start? In what ways does faith in the resurrection shape the present as well as the future?
Pray
Living God, speak to me afresh through the way, at the first Easter, you brought new beginnings into the lives of those who had believed their hopes were dashed and their dreams over. Remind me of how the risen Christ met them in the upper room, in the garden, on the road to Emmaus, by the water, on the mountaintop, restoring faith and leading them forward to fresh initiatives in your service and experiences of your love. May I, like them, learn to live each day in the light of your resurrection power, your promise for the future bringing joy, peace, trust and expectation in the present – the assurance that, whatever has been, there is more yet to come. Amen.
Remember
If Christ has not been raised, your faith is a waste of time and your sins still hang heavy upon you. Furthermore, all those who have died in Christ will simply have perished. If our hope in Christ concerns this life only, then we, of all people, should be pitied. But, in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead and has become the first fruits for those who have fallen asleep. For just as death came through one man, so also the resurrection of the dead comes through one man. As in Adam all die, so also in Christ will all be brought back to life. 1 Corinthians 15:17-22
Close
Keep me looking forward, Lord, celebrating the present through trusting in your future. Teach me in every ending to see a new beginning made possible by your grace. Amen.