The Learning at Redeemer group offers this opportunity to share glimpses of resurrection hope that each of us encounters in our daily life.
The Gospel appearances of the risen Christ are veiled in Mystery. The first thing on Easter morning, Mary Magdalene thinks he’s the gardener, until he calls her by name. Jesus falls in with two disciples on the road to Emmaus, as in our beloved chancel window, but they don’t recognize him until they’ve walked together, shared a meal, and their Guest has disappeared. The disciples are in a boat, see someone roasting fish on the shore, and then realize who it is. They’re gathered in a closed room in fear (as indeed many of us are now), and the Risen One somehow appears among them.
Discerning the Resurrection isn’t straightforward. No one has the Polaroids. We find hope in the midst of fear, an escape route from Pharoah’s army through the middle of the sea, reassurance in the face of uncertainty, comfort in the presence of pain, new life in a valley of dry bones. We’re surprised by deep joy, and find ourselves saying, “Oh–it’s You again.”
Learning@Redeemer (which is for the time being Learning Somewhere Within About 10 km of Redeemer) invites you to share the places you’re discerning Resurrection in your daily life as we negotiate this challenging, anxiety-laden season. Did the smile of a stranger on the street touch your heart? Did you connect with a friend you might not have contacted if it weren’t for the pandemic? Did a YouTube clip of Italians singing to each other from their balconies bring you joy? Are you grateful to your neighbours that their gardens are coming into bloom?
Every Sunday, beginning on April 19, we’ll post the Gospel reading for the week on a platform called Substack. We hope that you’ll then offer your own daily experiences of Resurrection for our community to share. At the end of each week, we’ll convene a sharing circle on Zoom where those of us who want to hear and see each other in real-time can gather to speak from the heart.
If you’d like to engage with the community via Substack, sign up for the L@R Newsletter. You will then be contacted via email when we’ve provided a new Gospel reading. The email will include a link where you can comment and respond to other people’s comments for that week. Information about how to join the Zoom sharing circle was shared through eNews.
