Here, in these strange words that begin this Easter season in Revelation 1:4-8, you have a choice between the emperor and all that he stands for or the faithful witness, the firstborn from among the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Which will truly offer you the gifts of grace and peace? The Emperor or the Christ? Which one will rule your heart? Which one will govern your life? Where will you place your loyalty?

That’s the question that is being asked to this community of faithful people trying to believe that grace and peace are more powerful forces than the systems of oppression and greed. Maybe there was a time where this seemed like an impossible thing to imagine but in 2025 in the United States of America, we are trying to summon the same courage.

James K. A. Smith writes in How to Inhabit Time that this is the wonderful mystery of liturgical time. It can seem boring that we repeat these same stories year after year, but he notes that what we are really doing is inviting each other to experience what happened: “it is an invitation into the event.” We are folded into the story, acting it out so that we might better understand how to live our faith today. Leaning into the faith of our ancestors, we find the courage to believe in the blessings of grace and peace now.

Here is a prayer for the Second Sunday in Easter (Year C) where we doubt so much and try to hold onto the good news of resurrection. It could be shared in multiple voices or responsively and could work as a more meditative call to worship though I’m offering it as a confession.

Inspired by Revelation 1:4-8 

Grace and peace, the letter begins written to people so long ago 
that it seems impossible to claim for ourselves. 
Let us say it to each other, turning to our neighbors,
looking in their eyes, holding that space for them,
Grace to you and peace from one who is and who was 
and who is to come. Grace and peace to you.
Do we need to repeat it to believe it 
when this world is so harsh and cruel?
Does it feel like enough to challenge 
those powers that threaten our hope?
Say it again, maybe this time to yourself,
Grace and peace to you.
It feels impossible
but still worth repeating
in a world that wants
anything else, let us risk
this blessing for ourselves
and each other:
Grace and peace. Amen.

Enter into the possibility of this grace and peace for yourself, your neighbor and the world. Pay attention to what it might feel like to embrace these gifts from God right now. 

I hope this confession might be a beginning to exploring the weird and wonderful world in the Revelation from John this Easter Season. If you use these prayers, and I hope you do, I hope that you will give me credit somewhere in your bulletin or worship slide by adding “created by Elsa Anders Cook from Cooking with Elsa (cookingwithelsa.org)."

You'll find another option for this text in this opening prayer for Reign of Christ and you'll find some prayers kinda related to Doubting Thomas for another lectionary year here. It may also be a Sunday to explore these Easter Affirmations I shared during the pandemic. I hope all of these offerings are a blessing to your worship planning.