A Word from The Rector: Easter 2025- A Living Hope

"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen."

(Luke 24:5)

Friends,

This question, which we hear each Easter, catches me every time. It’s not just a declaration—it’s an invitation. Spoken into moments of grief, confusion, and fear, it gently calls us to look again. To lift our eyes. To notice that even in the places we thought were empty and beyond hope, God is already at work, bringing new life. It’s an invitation to come alongside a living hope.

And not the kind of hope that pretends everything is fine. But a hope rooted in real life—gritty, grounded, and true. That’s what Holy Week does. It draws us into the raw and honest story of Jesus, and it holds space for our own stories too. We walk with him through the joy of Palm Sunday, the pain of betrayal, the silence of Saturday, and the heartbreak of the cross. And then, when it seems like all is lost, we come to the tomb—and find that love has already gone ahead. That hope is already moving. That life is not finished.

I see glimpses of that kind of living hope all the time here at St. Francis. In whispered prayers. In laughter over coffee. In meals left on doorsteps. In the ways we try our hardest, fall short, and keep showing up for each other anyway. I see it in the wonder of our children, in the beauty of our garden, in the compassion we offer and receive. These are resurrection moments—quiet, ordinary, holy. They remind us that Christ is alive, and still moving among us.

And that kind of hope doesn’t just stay with us—it moves through us.

This Easter, I want to invite you to join me in more than just a celebration. I want to invite you into a shared act of hope. Our Easter Offering this year, with the prayerful endorsement of our Trustees, will support both the ministry we share here at St. Francis and our global mission partner, Alongside Hope, through their Resilience Fund. The Resilience Fund walks with people around the world who are facing displacement, trauma, and the long road of rebuilding—especially in the wake of devastating international aid cuts. And thanks to a national matching donor, every gift to the Resilience Fund will be doubled. If you’re able, would you consider making a special Easter donation this year? Think of it as a gift of gratitude—for all that God has done and is doing in your life—a way to tangibly share the living hope you’ve experienced here. A way to help us keep showing up for each other, in this community and beyond it. You can make your gift on Easter Sunday using a pew envelope, or ahead of time using e-transfers to stfrancis(at)telus.net or online via our secure giving portal. So this Holy Week and Easter, let’s come alongside the living hope already at work in our lives, our neighbourhood, and our world—not as spectators, but as people who are part of the story. Let’s walk this sacred week together—open to where love might lead us to see life where we once saw only endings. I’ll save you a seat. Alex+ PS: service times below.