Joy Takes Root - Eastertide 2026

On Easter morning, we stood with Mary Magdalene in the garden. We watched as she came to the tomb with grief in her heart and tears in her eyes. She was searching for answers, for explanations, for something familiar to hold onto. And then, everything changed when she heard her name spoken by the risen Jesus. In that moment, the fog lifted, sorrow turned to joy, confusion gave way to recognition, and what began as mourning, became wonder. Mary’s experience in the garden shows us that the turning point of Easter isn’t just the empty tomb, it’s an encounter with the risen Jesus. The empty tomb is evidence, but the living Christ is proof. And that’s where joy is born–not in theory or in abstract belief, not when we just hear about Jesus or rehearse familiar traditions–but when we encounter Him–personally, truly, unmistakably. Mary entered the garden weeping, but she left proclaiming, “I have seen the Lord.”

However, while Mary stood in the garden that morning, the other disciples were somewhere else entirely. They weren’t running toward the tomb, they weren’t searching for answers. They were hiding behind locked doors–not celebrating, not rejoicing, not singing hymns of victory, but hiding in fear. Easter morning had happened–Jesus had risen from the grave–but fear still lingered. That’s where many people find themselves after Easter. The lilies fade, the music quiets, the celebration ends, and real-life returns–with its worries, uncertainties, fears, and anxieties. However, despite this reality, joy is central to the Christian life because Jesus is alive and death has been defeated. As Paul writes in our first reading from Philippians 4: “Rejoice in the Lord, always; again, I say, Rejoice.” To help us “rejoice in the Lord,” were beginning a new Eastertide sermon series this morning called: “Joy Takes Root,” that will walk alongside those first disciples to see how joy is born and takes root through an encounter with the risen Jesus.

SERMONS

Title: “Peace for Fearful Hearts”

Preacher: The Rev. Canon Christopher Doering

Date: Sunday, April 12, 2026 ~ The 2nd Sunday of Easter

Scripture: Philippians 4:4-9 and John 20:19-23

Handout: Part 1. HO