About this episode
Fr. Alan explores the meaning of resurrection through the lens of grief and hope in the context of Easter.
Easter is not optimism. The people in this story are not people for whom hope came easy. They watched their friend die. They buried him. They came back to the tomb in the dark because they didn't know where else to go. Jeremiah wrote to survivors who had lost everything: the people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness. Not after the wilderness. In it. That is the world Mary Magdalene is living in when she comes to the tomb before sunrise. She is not coming in hope. She is coming because grief pulls you back to the last place you saw someone. And then Jesus says her name. One word. One syllable. The whole resurrection in a single breath. In this Easter Day sermon from St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Keller, Texas, Fr. Alan explores what resurrection actually sounds like. Not a trumpet blast over easy circumstances. A name spoken quietly to someone in the wilderness. To someone who came expecting nothing. Grace does not wait for you on the other side of the wilderness. It meets you inside it. He is already ahead of you. Already calling. The Sounds of Holy Week St. Martin's Episcopal Church Keller, Texas Scripture: John 20:1–18
People in this episode
Host: Alan
Topics covered
- Easter
- resurrection
- grief
- hope
- Christianity
Keywords
- Mary Magdalene
- St. Martin's Episcopal Church
- Keller, Texas
- John 20:1–18
- grace in the wilderness
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Keller, Texas
More episodes of Hope Springs Eternal
- God Keeps Promises to the Dead · June 9, 2026 · 14 min
- God Is The Center · June 1, 2026 · 12 min
- The Reason Nobody Wants to Hear About Your Faith (And How to Fix It) · May 10, 2026 · 11 min
- God's Mercy is Bigger than You Think! · May 4, 2026 · 11 min
- Jesus Doesn't Wait for Your Doubt to Resolve | A Second Sunday of Easter Sermon · April 12, 2026 · 11 min
- The Sound of Hell Undone | The Great Vigil at St Martin's · April 5, 2026 · 5 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Hope Springs Eternal podcast page.