There are few things in life more hopeful than a Sunday morning in Eastertide.

The light seems a little brighter.
The church doors open with just a touch more anticipation.
Even the hymn books — long accustomed to the quieter tones of Lent — now appear to be positively bursting with Alleluias, as though they have been waiting all season for their moment.

And then, of course, there is the coffee hour.

Which, if we are honest, is where a great deal of resurrection theology is quietly lived out.

Now, every parish has its own particular customs around coffee hour. Some are orderly, efficient, and well-supplied. Others operate with a spirit of improvisation that would impress even the most seasoned jazz musician.

And then there are those moments — those sacred, unscripted moments — when someone discovers that all the teaspoons have mysteriously vanished.

This, I have come to believe, is not a crisis.

It is a liturgical opportunity.

Because resurrection life is not confined to the sanctuary.

It spills out into the parish hall.
It shows up in conversations over slightly-too-hot coffee.
It reveals itself in laughter, in welcome, and in the quiet, faithful work of those who make the whole thing happen.

Even without teaspoons.

Especially without teaspoons.

The great joy of Easter is not only that Christ is risen — though that is, admittedly, quite enough.

It is that the risen Christ gathers us still.

Around Word.
Around Sacrament.
Around tables where stories are shared, friendships are deepened, and newcomers are quietly welcomed into something they may not yet fully understand — but already feel.

Sunday is not simply the end of the week.

It is the beginning of a new life.

A life shaped by grace.
A life sustained by community.
A life that insists — gently but persistently — that love is stronger than death.

And so we come.

With our joy.
With our distractions.
With our slightly chaotic coffee hour logistics.

And Christ meets us here.

Not waiting for perfection.
Not requiring everything to be neatly arranged.

But present in the laughter, the conversation, the shared cup, and yes—even in the search for a missing spoon.

Because resurrection is not fragile.

It does not depend on flawless execution.

It thrives in the beautiful, holy mess of human life.

Which is very good news.

Particularly for those of us currently standing near the coffee table, holding a cup, and wondering how exactly we are meant to stir it.

Christ is risen.

And apparently, He is quite comfortable in the parish hall.

Alleluia.

Companion Prayer

Risen Lord,
You gather us in joy
and meet us in community.

Be present among us
in our worship and in our fellowship,
in our laughter and in our small confusions.

Bless the moments we share,
the conversations we offer,
and the welcome we extend.

Make our life together
a sign of your resurrection —
joyful, generous, and full of grace.

And remind us always
that you are with us
in every ordinary, holy moment.

Amen.

There is something deeply sacred about a Saturday morning.

Not in the grand, trumpet-filled, Easter-morning sort of way.

No, Saturday holiness is of a quieter variety.

It arrives in slippers.

It smells faintly of coffee.

And it usually involves standing in the kitchen wondering why one has opened the fridge, and what exactly one expected to find there that was not already discovered five minutes earlier.

Now, in the great arc of the Church’s life, Saturday has always been a curious sort of day.

Holy Saturday, of course, is that strange in-between place — Christ is risen, and yet the world has not quite caught up to the news.

And, if we are honest, neither have we.

Because even in Eastertide, we sometimes move about as though resurrection were a rumour that still requires confirmation.

We believe it.

Of course we do.

We have sung it, proclaimed it, and possibly even declared it with sufficient enthusiasm to alarm the neighbours.

But then Tuesday arrives.

Or Thursday.

Or a perfectly ordinary Saturday.

And suddenly the resurrection feels… well… less like fireworks and more like a quiet persistence.

Which is precisely where the joy of Easter begins to deepen.

Because resurrection is not only about the empty tomb.

It is about the living Christ who meets us in the utterly ordinary.

In the second cup of coffee.

In the unhurried conversation.

In the small decision to be kind when we could just as easily be efficient.

In the sacred and slightly heroic act of doing the dishes without composing a speech about it.

(Though I will confess, such speeches are often composed internally.)

The risen Christ is not waiting for us to become extraordinary.

He is already present in the ordinary.

Which means that this Saturday morning — yes, this one — is already full of resurrection.

Even if it feels rather like a day for errands, small tasks, and possibly locating the missing church keys.

The joy of Easter is not diminished by such things.

It is revealed in them.

Because the same Lord who stepped out of the tomb also steps quietly into our kitchens, our conversations, our errands, and our slightly disorganized lives.

And He does so without fanfare.

Without trumpet.

Without requiring us to be anything other than what we are.

Which is very good news.

Because most of us have not yet had our second cup of coffee.

So go gently into this day.

Laugh a little.

Be kind.

Notice the small things.

And trust that the resurrection is already at work — quietly, steadily, joyfully — right where you are.

Even in the kitchen.

Especially there.

Companion Prayer

Risen Lord,
You meet us in the quiet places,
in the slow mornings,
and in the ordinary rhythms of life.

Open our eyes to your presence
in the simple things —
in our work,
our rest,
and our relationships.

Give us hearts that rejoice
not only in great moments,
but in quiet grace.

And teach us to live this day
as people of the Resurrection —
gentle, joyful, and full of hope.

Amen.

There is a curious phenomenon that occurs in the Church sometime after Easter Day.

One might assume that after trumpets have been blown, lilies have been admired, and an heroic quantity of chocolate has been consumed in the name of resurrection joy, things would settle down a little.

One would be mistaken.

Because Easter joy does not so much calm down as it quietly moves into the parish calendar… and begins scheduling things.

Suddenly, there are meetings again.

Emails reappear like particularly persistent alleluias.
The photocopier, which had been resting peacefully through Holy Week, awakens with renewed purpose.
Someone asks about the parish barbecue.
Someone else asks about stewardship.
And someone — always someone — asks if the coffee could be just a little stronger.

It is at precisely this moment that we may be tempted to think:

“Well, Easter was lovely… but now we are back to ordinary life.”

But here is the delightful surprise of the Resurrection:

There is no such thing as “back to ordinary.”

Because the risen Christ has an inconvenient habit of showing up in exactly those places we are most tempted to overlook.

In the meeting agenda.
In the pastoral visit.
In the slightly chaotic parish kitchen.
In the quiet conversation after church that runs just a little longer than expected.

Easter does not remove us from the world.

It transforms the world from the inside out.

Which means that even the parish calendar — yes, even that — becomes a place where resurrection life is quietly unfolding.

Now, I will admit that this can be difficult to remember when one is staring at a to-do list that appears to have been written by someone with an unusually optimistic view of human capacity.

But Easter joy is not dependent on our efficiency.

Thanks be to God.

Easter joy is the quiet, persistent assurance that Christ is alive…

…and therefore nothing is wasted.

Not the small acts.
Not the unnoticed kindnesses.
Not even the slightly disorganized committee meeting that somehow, by grace, still manages to bear fruit.

The risen Christ is already there.

Ahead of us.
Among us.
Working through us.

Which means that the great miracle of Easter is not only that the tomb is empty —

— but that the world is full.

Full of grace.
Full of possibility.
Full of small, ordinary moments where resurrection quietly takes root.

Even in the parish calendar.

Especially there.

And so we move into these days not with a sigh of resignation, but with a quiet smile.

Because Christ is risen.

And apparently… He is quite happy to attend meetings.

Companion Prayer

Risen Lord,
You meet us not only in glory,
but in the ordinary rhythms of our days.

Be present in our work,
our conversations,
and even in our busy schedules.

Give us eyes to see your life at work
in small and simple moments,
and hearts ready to serve with joy.

Remind us again and again
that your resurrection fills all things.

And teach us to live
as people of Easter hope.

Amen.

There are certain places in parish life where theology happens whether anyone intends it or not.

The sanctuary, of course.
The pulpit, ideally.
Occasionally even the church office — usually around the third phone call of the morning.

But if you really want to discover the beating heart of a parish, you should spend some time at the kitchen sink.

It is there — among the clatter of dishes and the steady flow of warm water — that something quietly profound unfolds.

Now, to the untrained observer, washing dishes may not appear to be particularly theological work. It lacks drama. It rarely attracts a crowd. There are no vestments involved (which is, perhaps, just as well).

And yet…

After a parish supper, when the last plate has been scraped and the final cup abandoned in a place that defies both logic and gravity, a small group inevitably gathers at the sink.

No one makes a grand announcement.
No one delivers a stirring speech.

Someone simply rolls up their sleeves.

And begins.

Water runs.
Plates are passed.
Towels are found (eventually).

And in the midst of it all, something remarkable happens.

People talk.

Not the polite, surface-level conversations of the receiving line, but the real ones. Stories are shared. Laughter bubbles up. Someone remembers something important. Someone else feels, perhaps for the first time that day, that they truly belong.

It is, in its own quiet way, a resurrection moment.

Because Easter is not only about empty tombs and radiant mornings.

It is about life breaking forth in unexpected places.

Like the road to Emmaus.
Like a breakfast on the beach.
Like a kitchen sink after supper.

The risen Christ, it seems, has a particular fondness for ordinary settings.

And so it should not surprise us that he is present here —
in the passing of plates,
in the sharing of stories,
in the quiet, uncelebrated work of making things clean again.

There is something deeply fitting about this.

After all, the one who knelt with a towel and basin on Maundy Thursday has already shown us that love often looks like service.

It looks like doing what needs to be done.

It looks like showing up, sleeves rolled, hands ready.

Now, I will admit that there are moments — particularly when confronted with a casserole dish of unusual resilience — when one’s theological enthusiasm for dishwashing may waver.

But even then, Easter joy has a way of persisting.

In the rhythm of the work.
In the companionship of others.
In the quiet satisfaction of leaving things better than we found them.

And perhaps that is the deeper truth:

That resurrection life is not only something we celebrate.

It is something we participate in.

Every time we choose to serve.
Every time we choose to love.
Every time we step into the ordinary with grace.

So the next time you find yourself at the parish kitchen sink, do not be too quick to escape.

Stay a moment.

Listen.

You may just discover that what you are part of is not merely cleanup…

…but the ongoing work of resurrection.

Alleluia.

A Short Companion Prayer

Risen Lord,
meet me in the quiet work of this day.

In small acts of service,
in unnoticed moments,
in the simple tasks before me—
let your life be at work.

Give me willing hands,
a joyful heart,
and a spirit ready to serve.

And in all I do,
help me to remember
that even the ordinary
is filled with your grace.

Alleluia. Amen.

There are few things in parish life more mysterious — more contested, more deeply theological — than the thermostat.

It sits there quietly on the wall, unassuming, almost innocent…
and yet it has the power to unite or divide a congregation faster than any doctrinal statement ever could.

Someone is always too warm.
Someone is always too cold.
And there is always at least one person who has taken it upon themselves to act as the unofficial guardian of “the proper temperature of the Lord’s house.”

Now, at first glance, this may not seem like fertile ground for Easter theology.

But stay with me.

Because if resurrection means anything at all, it means that life — real, vibrant, surprising life — is breaking into the places we least expect it.

Even into conversations that begin with, “Is it just me, or is it freezing in here?”

You see, the early disciples encountered the risen Christ not in carefully controlled environments, but in the middle of real life — rooms that were too crowded, roads that were too long, mornings that came too early.

In other words: settings not entirely unlike a parish hall with a slightly unpredictable heating system.

And what they discovered was this:

Christ was there.

Not waiting for everything to be just right.
Not insisting on perfect conditions.
But present — alive — in the midst of it all.

Which suggests that resurrection joy is not something that depends on ideal circumstances.

(It is just as well, really, because if it did, the Church would have been in serious trouble by about the year 34.)

No — resurrection joy is something deeper.

It is the quiet confidence that God is at work even when things are slightly uncomfortable.
Even when we are adjusting, negotiating, adapting.
Even when we are gently (or not so gently) discussing the thermostat.

And here is the surprising grace of it:

These small irritations — these ordinary, human moments — are precisely where we are given the opportunity to live as resurrection people.

To choose patience over irritation.
Kindness over complaint.
Humour over frustration.

(And perhaps, on particularly holy days, to let someone else adjust the thermostat without offering commentary.)

Because the Church is not built on perfect conditions.

It is built on grace.

And grace has a remarkable way of warming a room far more effectively than any heating system ever devised.

So if, today, you find yourself in a space that is a little too warm, or a little too cold, or just not quite to your liking — take heart.

The risen Christ is not waiting for the temperature to be adjusted.

He is already there.

And where he is, there is life.

Even here.
Especially here.

Alleluia.

A Companion Prayer

Risen Christ,
be present with me in the ordinary details of this day.

When things are not quite as I would choose,
give me patience.
When small frustrations arise,
give me grace.

Teach me to carry your joy
into every moment —
comfortable or not.

And in all things,
help me to remember
that you are alive and at work
right here.

Alleluia. Amen.

There are few places in parish life more theologically rich than the coffee queue.

This may come as a surprise to those who imagine theology happens primarily in books, pulpits, or committees with very serious agendas. But I assure you — if you wish to observe the human condition in all its glory and complexity — stand quietly beside the coffee urn after Sunday worship.

You will witness impatience and generosity.
Careful negotiation and mild territorial disputes.
The mysterious phenomenon of someone taking the very last cookie and then looking vaguely surprised that there are no more cookies.

In short, you will see life.

And, if it is Eastertide, you will also — if you are paying attention — see resurrection.

Now, admittedly, resurrection is not always obvious in a line that moves at approximately the speed of continental drift. But Easter has a way of revealing itself in the smallest, most ordinary encounters.

A conversation that begins with, “How are you?” and unexpectedly becomes real.
A laugh shared over slightly over-steeped coffee.
A quiet welcome offered to someone standing just a little uncertainly at the edge of the room.

These are not grand moments.

But they are holy.

Because the risen Christ does not confine himself to sanctuaries and stained glass. He appears in kitchens. On roads. Around tables.

And — yes — even in the coffee queue.

Which means that what we are doing there is not merely waiting for caffeine.

We are participating in something deeper.

We are learning, slowly and imperfectly, how to be a community shaped by resurrection.

A community where people are noticed.
Where stories are shared.
Where grace is extended — sometimes even before the second cup.

Now, I will confess that I have occasionally approached the coffee queue with motives that are less than purely spiritual. There are mornings when my primary theological conviction is that coffee is essential to salvation.

But even then — perhaps especially then — Easter joy has a way of sneaking in.

In the warmth of the room.
In the kindness of familiar faces.
In the gentle reminder that we do not walk this life alone.

And so, in this season of resurrection, we discover something rather wonderful:

That even the most ordinary moments —
even the slightly chaotic, mildly caffeinated, occasionally cookie-deprived moments —
are places where Christ is alive.

Not in spectacle.
But in presence.

Not in perfection.
But in people.

So the next time you find yourself standing in line for coffee, take a moment.

Look around.

Listen.

You may just discover that what you are part of is not merely a queue…

…but a quiet, joyful unfolding of resurrection life.

Even there.

Especially there.

Alleluia.

A Companion Prayer

Risen Christ,
meet me in the ordinary places of this day.

In conversations and small encounters,
in laughter and in waiting,
in moments that seem simple and easily overlooked —
let me see your life at work.

Give me eyes to notice others,
a heart ready to welcome,
and a spirit shaped by your joy.

And in all things,
even the smallest,
teach me to live as one who knows
that you are risen.

Alleluia. Amen.

There comes a moment in Eastertide — usually a Monday, and almost always before the second cup of coffee — when one opens one’s email inbox with great theological optimism…

…and is immediately greeted by 47 unread messages.

Some of them are important.
Some of them are mysterious.
And at least one of them appears to involve a committee you do not remember joining.

Now, it is at precisely this moment that the great proclamation of Easter—Christ is risen!—meets the equally great reality of parish life — and so is everything else.

Schedules.
Requests.
Questions that begin with, “Just a quick one…”

And the temptation, of course, is to imagine that these things somehow compete with Easter joy. That resurrection belongs to lilies and trumpets and radiant mornings… but not, perhaps, to inboxes and interruptions.

But here is the quiet surprise of Easter:

The risen Christ does not avoid the ordinary.

He steps into it.

He meets his friends not only in moments of wonder, but in the middle of their routines — on roads, at tables, in conversations that begin with confusion and end, quite unexpectedly, in recognition.

Which suggests that resurrection joy is not something we leave behind once the choir has gone home.

It is something we carry… even into Monday morning.

Even into email.

Now, I will confess that I have yet to receive an email that begins, “Alleluia! The Lord is risen!” (though I remain hopeful). But I have discovered that Easter joy has a way of sneaking into the smallest exchanges:

A note of gratitude.
A moment of patience when a reply is slower than we’d like.
A gentle kindness in how we respond, even when we are tired.

These, too, are signs of resurrection.

Not dramatic.
Not headline-worthy.
But real.

Because the resurrection is not merely an event to be celebrated — it is a life to be lived.

And that life, it turns out, includes Mondays.

It includes inboxes.

It includes the quiet, steady work of showing up with grace in the midst of whatever the day brings.

So if your Easter joy feels slightly buried beneath a list of things to do — do not be discouraged.

The tomb was empty long before anyone checked their messages.

And the risen Christ is quite capable of meeting you right there,
between the subject lines and the second cup of coffee.

Alleluia.

A Companion Prayer

Risen Christ,
meet me in the ordinary rhythms of this day.

In the tasks before me,
in the messages I answer,
in the people I encounter —
let your life be quietly at work.

Give me patience where I am hurried,
grace where I am stretched,
and joy that does not depend on everything going smoothly.

Teach me to carry Easter into the small moments,
until even the ordinary becomes a place of resurrection.

Alleluia. Amen.

There is a moment — usually somewhere around the second or third week of Eastertide—when resurrection joy meets something far more formidable.

The parish calendar.

It is a quiet collision, but a significant one.

Easter morning arrives with trumpets, lilies, and a choir that sounds as though it has been practicing since the Council of Nicaea. Christ is risen! The tomb is empty! Death is defeated! Alleluia!

And then, by late April, one discovers that the annual ACW meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, the roof repair quote has arrived, and someone would like to know if we can “just quickly” reorganize the entire parish filing system.

It is at precisely this moment that the Christian is tempted to say, “Yes, yes, resurrection is wonderful… but have you seen the agenda for this week?”

And yet — this is where Easter becomes most interesting.

Because the resurrection is not merely a dramatic interruption to life. It is the quiet transformation of it.

The risen Christ does not remain in the garden in a permanent state of glowing serenity. He appears in locked rooms. He walks dusty roads. He cooks breakfast on the shore. He meets his disciples not only in moments of glory — but in the middle of their confusion, their work, and their rather ordinary lives.

Which is to say: he meets us in parish meetings.

Now, I will admit that it is sometimes difficult to locate resurrection joy in a discussion about budget lines or the mysterious disappearance of the good coffee urn. But Easter insists that even here — yes, even here — God is at work.

Resurrection does not wait for perfect conditions.

It does not require a well-organized binder or a particularly inspiring committee report.

It shows up in small moments:
A kind word offered when tensions rise.
A bit of laughter when the projector refuses to cooperate.
A gentle patience when someone tells the same story for the third time (with slight variations).

These are not grand miracles.

But they are signs of life.

And resurrection, as it turns out, is remarkably fond of small beginnings.

We often imagine Easter as a single, glorious event — one triumphant morning. But in truth, it is a season. A slow unfolding. A steady, persistent insistence that life is breaking in where we least expect it.

Even in the parish calendar.

Especially in the parish calendar.

So if, today, your joy feels slightly entangled with emails, meetings, and the general business of life — take heart.

This is not a failure of Easter.

This is Easter doing what Easter does best.

Not removing us from the ordinary…
…but quietly, steadily, transforming it.

And if you listen very carefully — somewhere between the agenda item about the photocopier and the closing prayer—you may just hear it:

A soft, persistent Alleluia.

Still echoing.

A Companion Prayer

Risen Lord Jesus,
you who walked out of the tomb
and then walked straight into ordinary rooms—

into kitchens, into conversations,
into the unfinished business of everyday life—

walk with us now.

When our days are filled with small tasks
and our hearts are pulled in many directions,
remind us that no moment is beneath your notice,
and no place is beyond your presence.

In the meetings and the minutes,
in the emails and the errands,
in the quiet duties no one applauds—
teach us to see the signs of your resurrection.

Give us patience when we are weary,
grace when we are tested,
and a sense of humour when things go just a little sideways.

Let your life rise gently within us,
so that even in the most ordinary moments,
we may become bearers of your extraordinary joy.

And when we are tempted to believe
that nothing much is happening,
open our eyes to the quiet miracles —
the kindness, the laughter, the perseverance—
through which your kingdom comes.

For you are alive,
not only in glory,
but in the midst of our daily lives.

And so we pray,
with grateful hearts and hopeful spirits:

Alleluia. Amen.

By this point in Eastertide, something rather delightful has begun to happen.

We are no longer startled by the Resurrection.

At Easter, we proclaim it loudly.
We sing it.
We decorate for it.
We may even bake for it — sometimes with results that are more enthusiastic than structurally sound.

But now…

Now we are learning to live with it.

And that, as it turns out, is where things become truly interesting.

Because living with resurrection is not nearly as dramatic as announcing it.

It is quieter.

More subtle.

More… woven into things.

By Friday, life has resumed its usual rhythm.

The emails continue.
The errands persist.
The coffee, thankfully, remains dependable.

And yet…

…something has changed.

Not in a way that would necessarily impress an outside observer.

But in a way that becomes unmistakable once you begin to notice it.

The ordinary has become… lighter.

Not easier, exactly.

But lighter.

There is a quiet sense that things matter — not because they are impressive, but because they are held within something larger.

Resurrection has not removed us from the world.

It has reintroduced us to it.

Now, this is where the joy becomes almost mischievous.

Because once you realize this…

…you begin to find celebration in unexpected places.

In a conversation that lingers a little longer than planned.
In a moment of laughter that arrives without warning.
In the quiet satisfaction of finishing something small but meaningful.

None of these things are dramatic.

None of them would make headlines.

And yet — taken together — they form a kind of quiet festival of grace.

Now, to be clear, this does not mean that everything becomes festive.

There may still be frustrations.
There may still be moments when you look at something and think, “Ah. Yes. That will require patience.”

But even there…

…even there…

…resurrection has the final word.

Because the risen Christ is not only present in what delights us.

He is present in what challenges us as well.

And that means that even the slightly complicated, slightly untidy parts of life are not beyond redemption.

Which is very good news.

Because life has a remarkable tendency to be slightly complicated and slightly untidy.

So today, as you move through your Friday…

pay attention to the small celebrations.

The quiet joys.
The unnoticed grace.

Because Easter is no longer something we simply announce.

It is something we inhabit.

And you may find — quite unexpectedly — that this ordinary day has become a kind of feast.

Not because everything is perfect.

But because everything is alive with the presence of the risen Christ.

And that…

…is reason enough to rejoice.

Alleluia.

Companion Prayer

Risen Lord,
You fill our ordinary days
with quiet joy.

Open our eyes
to the small celebrations
that surround us.

Help us to notice your presence
in what is simple,
in what is ordinary,
and in what brings us gentle delight.

And teach us to live
not just announcing your resurrection,
but dwelling within it.

Alleluia. Amen.

By Friday, we begin to tell the truth.

Not the dramatic truth.
Not the theological truth (though that remains important).

But the practical truth.

We are a little tired.

Not exhausted, necessarily — we are still functioning, still upright, still capable of locating our keys (eventually).

But there is a certain… softness to Friday.

A slowing down.

A quiet awareness that the week has taken its toll, however gently.

And it is precisely here — in this honest, slightly weary space — that Easter becomes not just joyful…

…but necessary.

Because resurrection is not only for the energetic.

It is not reserved for those who feel particularly inspired or spiritually impressive.

It is for people who have made it to Friday.

Which, when you think about it, is most of us.

Now, there is something deeply reassuring about this.

Because it means that you do not have to feel triumphant in order to live in the light of Easter.

You do not need to be overflowing with enthusiasm.
You do not need to have everything perfectly in hand.

You simply need to be present.

And perhaps — just perhaps — a little open.

Because the risen Christ has a remarkable way of meeting people exactly where they are.

Not where they ought to be.
Not where they were earlier in the week.
But where they are now.

Even if that place is:

“A bit tired, but still trying.”

This is, in fact, a very holy place.

And here is where the joy takes on a slightly different tone.

Not loud.

Not exuberant.

But steady.

Gentle.

The kind of joy that does not demand energy, but quietly restores it.

The kind of joy that sits beside you and says, “You are doing just fine.”

Now, this does not mean that everything suddenly becomes easy.

There may still be things to finish.
There may still be moments when you look at the clock and think, “Ah. Yes. Time continues.”

But beneath all of that…

…there is grace.

The grace to continue.
The grace to rest when needed.
The grace to recognize that even a quiet, slightly weary Friday is held in the light of resurrection.

So today, if you find yourself moving a little more slowly…

If your energy is not quite what it was on Monday…

If you are simply doing your best to make your way through the day…

know this:

Christ is risen.

And that is enough.

Enough for this moment.
Enough for this day.
Enough for you.

So carry on, gently.

Take a breath.

Smile, if you can.

And let Easter meet you right where you are.

Even here.

Especially here.

Alleluia.

Companion Prayer

Risen Lord,
You meet us
not only in strength,
but in our weariness.

Be near to us today
in our tiredness,
our quiet efforts,
and our need for rest.

Renew our hearts,
restore our spirits,
and fill us with your gentle joy.

And remind us
that your resurrection
is enough for every moment.

Alleluia. Amen.