It is quiet and dark and the air is chilly. A group of people huddles together in the cemetery. The air smells of damp earth. Dew drips from the tall evergreens. Birds announce the coming dawn. Slowly the night sky becomes paler. Suddenly the first rays of the rising sun appear. "Christ is risen!"  the pastor proclaims. "Christ is risen indeed" the people reply.

This is how Easter morning begins in the congregation of my hometown in Germany. The cemetery, the place of death, is the first place where the Easter message is proclaimed. Four summers ago we buried my father in this place, and now I find this practice even more moving.

It so happens that here at Christ the Good Shepherd we also have a "cemetery."  It is the columbarium which is located between our two sanctuary doors. It is the place where the ashes of our loved ones rest securely. In this place we are reminded that even though our loved ones are separated from us, they are in Christ's mystery also close to us.

But there is more to the columbarium than just ashes. In the middle of the columbarium is the baptismal font, reminding us of the new life in Christ - an important message not just for those of us who have lost a loved one, but for all of us.
 
Because all of us also carry a "cemetery" inside of us. There is a place inside of us where we have buried our dreams; there is a place inside of us where we have sealed off our joy; there is a place inside of us where we have entombed our hope; there is a place inside of us where we have suppressed our sexuality. And this is where resurrection needs to begin: from the inside out. And not just on Easter, but every day of our lives.

Each day Christ calls us from death into life. Each day Christ calls to all that is dead and buried inside of us. Each day Christ says: arise. Each day Christ invites us to become new. Each day is Easter.

This is something to be celebrated. Not just for one glorious Sunday, but every day of our lives. The Easter seasons lasts 50 days and is meant to help us live as "Easter People", daily rising into the life new which Christ offers.

Pastor Bea Chun