Eggs

Eggs! There are bad ones, rotten ones, all round good ones, then there are fried eggs (sunny-side up/down), scrambled, omelette and then there is the poached egg, which C.S. Lewis had something to say:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

What are eggs a sign of? New life and new birth, right? Or perhaps we can’t get past the fact that eggs are good to eat unless, like me, you have an intolerance to them. But that does not extend to that other egg, the one made of chocolate! And that is the strange thing about this time of year. There are so many of them and yet the rest of the year they are conspicuous by their absence.

But back to eggs being a sign of new beginnings. New beginnings. These are almost always exciting. For Irena (pronounced “E-rrrain-a”) and I: a new city, a new home, a new desk and chair(!) and , of course, a new church and fellowship. For you: A new minister with his wonderful wife and very great expectations.

William Carey, the pioneering missionary to India, who went through horrendous times with health, poverty, and loss still wrote these words:

“Expect great things (from God), Attempt great things (for God)”

I am so looking forward to what God has in store for as we foster a listening heart to God in prayer and in the Scriptures…Ps 46 says: Be still and know that I am God. Notice the rest of the Psalm; everyone is losing their heads, all that is, except God and those who trust in Him.

We are entering a new season looking upwards to our Saviour. Together we who know God shall do great exploits for Him.

Words are not enough to express our ‘Thank you’ for such a warm and generous welcome to us but our thanks is given for you and to you all the same.

But I must return to chocolate eggs before I finish - and not because I am salivating, but to ask: Why eggs at this time of year? Here and in other nations normal eggs are painted/dyed a blood red. The reason has to do with Easter and the death of our Lord Jesus in our place paying with His blood on the cross. And then on Easter Day the eggs, both the painted ones and the chocolate are cracked representing, of course, the tomb stone rolling away and what that meant; Jesus resurrected! death, sin and hell defeated!

Christ is risen! Hallelujah! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

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I serve a risen Savior   He’s in the world today. I know that He is living,   Whatever men may say. I see His hand of mercy;   I hear His voice of cheer; And just the time I need Him   He’s always near.

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way. He lives, He lives, salvation to impart! You ask me how I know He lives?     He lives within my heart.

In all the world around me   I see His loving care, And though my heart grows weary,   I never will despair; I know that He is leading,   Through all the stormy blast; The day of His appearing   Will come at last.

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian,   Lift up your voice and sing Eternal hallelujahs   To Jesus Christ the King! The Hope of all who seek Him,   The Help of all who find, None other is so loving,   So good and kind.

(Alfred Henry Ackley)