An Easter Message
from the
Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Missionary Church

Long ago, the Lord placed in my heart a call to defend Christianity against the onslaught of the extreme left which has been attempting to remove God from the fabric of American society.  In just a matter of days in the life of our savior, the call went from “Hosanna in the highest” to “Crucify him”.  Sadly, two thousand years later, in many sectors of American society, among those who think they are more enlightened than the rest of society, the call is now, “there is no God.”  

Unaccustomed as I am to living in a place that still routinely gets snow in April, it was difficult for me to get into the spirit of Easter.  I was feeling like I was living in the land of endless Lent.  However, as usual, God granted me another grace to help me better frame my mind for the approaching celebration of Jesus’ resurrection.

I have recently returned from the United Arab Emirates where I was the guest of a Christian hospital that is not afraid to proclaim the Gospel of our risen Lord in the place, and to the people, where St. Paul first went after his conversion.  They graced me with the invitation to preach for Passion Sunday and Palm Sunday.  The blessings I received, though, occurred away from the altar and pulpit.

·         I met a hospital staff that primarily serves a Muslim population in a hospital where you can find Arabic language versions of the Bible throughout.  Each month the hospital “loses” about 32 copies of the Bible, as patients and visitors discretely slip them in their bags. 

·         I met an American, fluent in Arabic, who had been involved in a dialogue for months with an individual who wanted to know more about Christ.  They would meet for their discussion far away from town.   

·         I had dinner alone one night in a local restaurant.  That night they were having a half-price dinner for teachers.  There was a table with a couple hundred books for the teachers at greatly reduced prices. Interspersed among those books were Christian-themed book that were available at no charge. 

·         When it was announced at this dinner that there would be a special Easter Sunday brunch for the teachers and that their children are invited for free, a discussion began at the next table.  One of the two Muslim women sitting with an American began asking questions about Easter, its importance and significance. 

·         I was fortunate enough to meet the Crown Prince HH Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and spend the afternoon as an honored guest at his majlis (royal court).  While there, I was involved in a conversation with the HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the hospital CEO.  I was astounded to learn that 26 different churches are meeting on the hospital campus, and Sheikh Mansour responded that this is a good thing.    

If the Christians I met are not afraid to proclaim Christianity on the Arabian Peninsula, why are Christians afraid to proclaim Christ in the West? 

Jesus not only humbled himself to become a human being, but he also became a servant.  Not only did he become a human servant, he did everything his Father asked him to do from becoming man and dwelling among us through to the ugly, ignominious, dirty, spiteful death St. Matthew describes.

We need to begin anew proclaiming the crucified and risen Lord.  If you have never talked with one person about your faith, pledge now to try it once.  If you have not done it in a while, try it again.  We don’t have to be “obnoxious” for the Lord, merely faithful – which includes proclaiming that He is Risen. 

One of the UAE Princes attended a service at the non-denominational church in the region.  The one comment he came away with was, “why do you Christians approach God in such a casual manner?”  We traditional Anglicans can never be accused of such a crime.  However, we just need to trust that the Holy Spirit will give us the grace to have the right words at the right time. 

If you think it is beneath you to proclaim the risen Lord, St. Paul says, "Take a look at the crucifix, and remind yourself that that is God himself hanging up there -- and he is hanging up there for you."  

Jesus, by what he has done for us, has done what the prophet Isaiah had predicted.  Jesus has poured water on a thirsty land.  And we are that “thirsty land.”

If we believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that he died for our sins and that he is going to come again, we will be afforded the opportunity to be with Jesus in Heaven.  However, if we believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, that he died for our sins and is going to come again, we will read, learn and inwardly digest what he teaches us and we will work that much harder to do what is pleasing in his sight. 

Jesus was obedient unto death.  Shouldn’t we be a little bit more obedient in proclaiming His resurrection? 

The Right Rev. Council Nedd II

Presiding Bishop

The Episcopal Missionary Church