Fear Is Not the Final Word
An Easter Message from General Secretary Roland Fernandes
Matthew 28 gives us an interesting account of the resurrection story. It includes a great earthquake, an angel who looked like "lightning", and guards who were so scared they "became like dead men."
Yet in spite of these dramatic, frightening events, when Mary and Mary Magdalene visit the tomb of Jesus, the angel tells them not to be afraid. "He is not here, he has been raised," the angel says, and invites the women inside the tomb to see for themselves.
There is no shortage of alarming events in our world, today…
Related Posts
The Rev. Dr. Margaret Ann Crain helped define what it means to be a deacon, even before The United Methodist Church had the language. Crain, now among the first class of United Methodist deacons ordained following the 1996 General Conference, said her sense of call long predated the creation of the Order of Deacon.
Thirty years after The United Methodist Church established the Order of Deacons, the vocation continues to shape how the church serves beyond its walls through its estimated 1,100 ordained members. Approved by the 1996 General Conference, the order created a permanent ordained ministry centered on Word, service, compassion, and justice, affirming a lifelong calling distinct from elder ministry.
I pray this summer you found time to relax and renew. When I was a chaplain, I served in the president’s cabinet. From that experience, I know summers are not entirely relaxing for staff and administration. ... Not only do we gain a realistic picture of what we will find in the next few months, but it is also a time for staff and faculty to begin again.
