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Dear People of the Diocese of Florida,
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
In Matthew’s Easter account (28:1-10), we are taken to the tomb in the quiet aftermath of loss. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary arrive carrying grief, uncertainty, and the weight of all that has been. What they encounter instead is the power of God breaking open the world as they knew it. The stone is rolled away. The earth trembles. And the angelic message rings out: “He is not here; for he has been raised.”
It is a moment that transforms fear into hope, despair into courage, and endings into new beginnings.
This Easter message speaks deeply to us as a diocesan family. We know what it is to walk through difficult days. We have experienced challenges, division, and the long, faithful work of healing. And yet, like those first witnesses at the tomb, we have also seen signs of God’s renewing power among us. We have come a long way—through grace, through perseverance, and through a shared commitment to reconciliation in Christ.
Easter reminds us that God is never finished with us. Resurrection is not only a past event; it is a present reality and a future promise. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work even now—restoring relationships, renewing our common life, and calling us forward with purpose.
As we look ahead, we do so with hope. In September, at our Diocesan Convention, we will gather to elect our next bishop. This is not simply a moment of decision, but a sacred opportunity to listen for the Spirit and to discern the future God is calling us to embrace together. Just as the women were sent from the tomb with both urgency and joy, we too are being sent—into a future shaped not by fear, but by faith.
“Do not be afraid,” the risen Christ says. Those words are for us.
Beloved, the tomb is empty. Christ is alive. And because he lives, there is hope for the Church, hope for this Diocese, and hope for each of us.
May this Easter season fill you with renewed faith, deep joy, and abiding peace. And may the risen Christ guide us ever forward as one body, united in love and purpose. Alleluia! Christ is risen!
With love, hope, and joy,
The Rev. Bob Goolsby, Standing Committee 2027
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