"With Love and Dignity"

Our scripture today is from Luke, chapter 8 verses 1-3 and John chapter 20 verses 1 & 11-18 from the Common English Bible.

1 Soon afterward, Jesus traveled through the cities and villages, preaching and proclaiming the good news of God's kingdom. The Twelve were with him, 2 along with some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses. Among them were Mary Magdalene (from whom seven demons had been thrown out), 3 Joanna (the wife of Herod's servant Chuza), Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.

1 Early in the morning of the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

11 Mary stood outside near the tomb, crying. As she cried, she bent down to look into the tomb. 12 She saw two angels dressed in white, seated where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and one at the foot. 13 The angels asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" She replied, "They have taken away my Lord, and I don't know where they've put him." 14 As soon as she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn't know it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she replied, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him." 16 Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabbouni" (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, "Don't hold on to me, for I haven't yet gone up to my Father. Go to my brothers and sisters and tell them, ‘I'm going up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" 18 Mary Magdalene left and announced to the disciples, "I've seen the Lord." Then she told them what he said to her.