Easter Sunday: Seen

A Reflection for Easter Sunday by Jan Richardson. Click HERE for the original post.

15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 17Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.—John 20.15-18

I never fail to be dazzled by this moment when Jesus calls out the name of the woman whom he finds weeping by his tomb. Mary. At the sound of her name, the Magdalene finally sees and knows who has found her there. It is a stunning moment of recognition.

Yet as I spiral back around this passage this week, what draws my attention is not only the way that Mary Magdalene sees Christ when he calls her name. What tugs at me this time is how, in that moment of hearing her name, Mary Magdalene must see herself.

With an inflection that only Christ could have given to it, his speaking of her name conveys everything: all their history, all that passed between them in their friendship, all that he knows of this woman whom he healed and who, along with other women, traveled with him and sustained him from her own resources. He knows her. He sees her. And now he asks her to see herself as he does.

Mary.

In that moment, and in the call and commissioning that will soon come, the risen Christ gives Mary Magdalene to herself. Not, of course, as if he owns or controls her but because, as ever, he knows her and wants to free her from what would hinder her from the life that God desires for her. Long ago, Jesus had released the Magdalene from the septet of demons that haunted her. (“A demon for every day of the week,” writes Kathleen Norris; “how practical; how womanly.”) Now he releases her again, this time from clinging to him, from becoming entangled with him. Where holding onto him might seem holy, Christ sees—and enables Mary Magdalene to see—that her path and her life lie elsewhere. Beyond this moment, beyond this garden, beyond what she has known. In going, Mary affirms that she has seen what she needed to see: not just Christ in the glory of his resurrection, but also herself, graced with the glory that he sees in her.

In the centuries to come, Mary Magdalene will become layered over with other visions that people have of her: other titles, other depictions, other names. Sinner, prostitute, penitent, bride: the stories and legends of who the Magdalene was and what she became will both fascinate us and frustrate our ability to know her. But on this day, the Magdalene we meet in the garden is simply one who has learned to see, and who goes forth to proclaim what she has seen.

This day, what will we allow ourselves to see: of Christ, of ourselves? How would it be to know ourselves as he does, to see ourselves as he sees us, to know that the risen Christ speaks our name, too, and releases us to tell what we have seen? What will you proclaim as you leave the empty tomb this day?

“Despite all the pain that Jesus suffered on the cross, there is beauty in it all.” Dana Wiegner, The Neighbourhood Church, Surrey, BC.

A beautiful reminder for us this Easter that the cross is crucial, but not final. Christ has overcome.

Beginning Anew

By Jenna Hanger

It’s a favourite time for all of us. We all love quadding out to the field and seeing all the calves—some wet with afterbirth, standing on shaky legs, others running around like pups, playing and kicking as they experience their first taste of life.

You can’t help but feel positive in the face of all that. It is a strong reminder that no matter what is happening in the world, life continues on. The sun rises and sets, new seasons come and go like waves hitting the beach. New life begins. It’s a beautiful and powerful thing to witness—especially after a long winter, which was preceded by a long season of uncertainty, hostility and division. We all have felt it—in our friend groups, families and churches. A friend of mine has started to refer to it as “The Great Divide.” She isn’t wrong. It feels as though disunity has infiltrated all areas of our lives. There has been a lot of anger, a lot of feeling wronged and a lot of hurt. 

Now, though, we get to take a breath. Though the pandemic is not over, there is a slow easing into familiar ways. There is a general feeling that the worst is behind us with regards to the pandemic—we can look forward and start picking up the pieces left behind by clashing ideas and warring sides—and we desperately need to. The world has been shaken once again by the implications of Russia invading Ukraine—now more than ever we need to fight for unity and love. 

As we enter this season of new life, I hope we all can take a deep breath and begin anew as well and remember the most important commands Jesus left for us; Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength—and love your neighbour as yourself. 

The Gift of Growing

By Jenna Hanger

As Christians, we are called to be good stewards of the earth. This means more than just recycling and trying to curb your ecological footprint. This means wisely using the resources the Lord has given us—it means producing food to feed the hungry, tend and care for the fertile land we are blessed with, and use it to honour the Lord. In a word, it means gardening. 

Gardening is an important biblical practice on many levels. In their document Why Every Church Should Plant A Garden… And How! the Christian conservation group A Rocha lays out a clear and convincing case why gardening is important. 

They state, The Bible is strong on gardening. Whether in Genesis, Jeremiah or the Gospels, gardens play a prominent role in God’s plans. It even starts in one. A garden is a wondrous place where we can “meet” with the Lord and marvel at His miracles. It’s a place to love your neighbour, care for creation and grow veggies.

They proclaim church gardens can be so much more than a way to grow food for food banks, have a healthier diet and promote community. They say it also can be a way to celebrate the bounty of God’s good earth and a way to honour and care for people and the planet.

Broadmoor Baptist Church in BC is an example of a church who has embraced community gardens.

Jo-Ann Matiachuk started the gardens nearly 11 years ago. It has grown from just her, to four plots, to twelve—plus a large designated food bank garden. The spots are quickly filled each year. A few are from the congregation, but mostly spots are filled by neighbours in the community. Each of the gardeners are asked to help tend to the food bank garden. They are also encouraged to share their own harvest with those in need.

“The purpose really, first and foremost, is stewardship,” Jo-Ann said. “We have a property that much of it is unused. It seemed a shame because there are a lot of townhouses around here and apartment buildings where people don’t have their own area to garden. It just seemed like a way to share and be good neighbours.”

Jo-Ann said that aside from other things, it’s also healthy on many levels—spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally. It also promotes neighbourliness and provides opportunities to have significant conversations with people. 

Crescent Heights Baptist Church in, AB (CHBC), is another church who has seen the value in community gardens. 

Sunnye Kay, a deacon at CHBC, has been the one to head up volunteers, encourage participation and manage much of the maintenance. In 2020, the youth group was awarded a grant from the city, which allowed them to construct some raised garden beds. The vegetable gardens are planted each spring with the help of the young children in the church. The bounty is shared with the church family, people coming to the church requesting help, and donations to the Calgary Community Fridge.

Prior to that, the church had planted some perennial garden beds on the west and south sides of the church. Staff from local businesses often stop to have their lunch on the benches or stairs to enjoy the green space. Pastor Tyler hosted weekly ‘tent meetings’ in the garden during Covid to safely see parishioners.

Sunnye said she loves working in the garden as she often has the chance to visit with neighbours in the community. She said the gardens provide opportunity to step outside the church building and show the love of Jesus to those passing by, and the harvest is impactful as well. 

“The fresh vegetables are such a gift. If you plan well, weekly harvests can be made,” Sunnye said. “In the centre of the city, it is so calming to see a space with growing things—it’s a hopeful, caring and inviting space.” 

Kitsilano Christian Community, BC also had similar motives when they built a new growing space after receiving a grant in 2021. They wanted to create a place that would invite the community to engage in their space, without having an expectation of them entering the church building. 

The garden features 4 accessible garden boxes for community gardeners, a blueberry & squash patch, a pollinator garden box and one garden box used for growing food to give away. In the centre of the garden is a picnic table that welcomes anyone to come and rest.

“We are a city church with lots of apartment buildings within our neighbourhood, which means most of our neighbours have little to no outside space,” Nadia VanderKuip, Kits church administrator said. “We have found that the garden is an entry point into conversation with our neighbours, a gift to those who walk by and a chance to share in the food grown.”

If your church is interested in starting a community garden, we encourage you to check out the resources available at A Rocha. 

For more resources regarding Creation Care. Check out the JMN webpage here. 

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