Highlights from lyrics to “It’s a Brand New Day” (by Glen Roethel, Sue Riley & Richard Mekdeci): “It’s a brand new day…. The power of love has rolled that stone away…. It’s a brand new day!
Faith can move a mountain, part that stormy sea. Love can be a fountain pouring over me. Hope can build a future so we can truly say, the past is past, free at last, it’s a brand new day!
The power of love has rolled that stone away…. Doubts become believing that death can be destroyed. Painful loss and grieving, can open us to joy.
A dawn of resurrection can chase our fears away. The past is past, free at last, it’s a brand new day! The power of love has rolled that stone away! … It’s a brand new day.”
Responsive Reading for April 9
“Come, let us return to the LORD . . . that he may heal us …. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth” (Hosea 6:1-3). “On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb” (Jn. 20: 1).
It’s a brand new day …. The power of love has rolled that stone away.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! . . . who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Ps. 103:1-5). Elijah “called out to the LORD: ‘LORD, my God, let the life breath return to the body of this child.” … The life breath returned to the child’s body and he lived” (I Ks. 17:21-2). “Very early when the sun had risen, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb. They were saying to one another, ‘Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back; it was very large” (Mk. 16:1-4).
Faith can move a mountain…. Hope can build a future so we can truly say, the past is past, free at last … the power of love has rolled that stone away. It’s a brand new day!
“When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child [of the Shunammite woman] lying dead on his bed. So he went in and shut the door … and prayed to the LORD. Then…the flesh of the child became warm…. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes” (II Kings 4:32-5). “But at daybreak on the first day of the week they took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb; but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were puzzling over this, behold, two men in dazzling garments appeared to them. They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. They said to them, ‘Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised’” (Lk. 24:1-6). “Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to the disciples. And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did homage. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go, tell my brothers to go to Galilee and there they will see me’” (Mt.28:8-10).
Doubts become believing that death can be destroyed. Painful loss and grieving, can open us to joy.
“Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!” (Is. 26:19). “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Ps. 23:6). “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’” (Jn. 20:17-18).
A dawn of resurrection can chase our fears away. The past is past, free at last, it’s a brand new day.