“But God raised [Jesus] on the third day and allowed him to appear ... to us who [are] chosen by God as witnesses ...” Acts 10:40-41
After the long Lenten journey, after the breaking of bread and the pouring of wine, and after the crucifixion, we come to Easter morning. And what a glorious morning it was! With brass and bells, in the sanctuary brimming with flowers, and with a mighty “Hallelujah!” we gave praise to God, declaring the amazing good news that indeed Christ is Risen!
Many people view Easter as one day, a one-time event when the church celebrates the resurrection of Christ. Like Lent and Advent, Easter is not limited to one day, but it is a season. We have journeyed through the past forty days of Lent, a quiet reflection on our priorities – reaffirming our calling as Christ’s disciples and preparing for and anticipating the new things God will do.
The Easter season moves us from Lent to the most glorious time for the church. It is in this season made up of 50 days that we celebrate God’s gift of new life given to us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Easter season is a time for watching and listening for those things within us and in the world that have died and come to life again.
During this Easter season, we will start to see the stirrings of the new thing God is doing in our church.
On April 3 and April 5, the Mission Study Team will host Congregational Conversations as we prepare for the next season of ministry at St. Mark by seeking to clarify our core values and identify our hopes and dreams for the future.
On April 22-24, the church will leave the building as we gather for an All Church Earth Day Retreat at Mound Ridge. Even if you can’t make the whole retreat, gather with your church family for an amazing outdoor worship experience led by Pastor Susan on that Sunday.
On May 18, we will bless Amy Ratzki’s decision to retire with a pot-luck dinner celebration. And we will also bid fare-well to the Mid Week Meal that has been a consistent part of life at St. Mark for so many years.
Also on May 18, we will consider our call to bring the good news of new life to our community by joining in a conver-sation about race relations with Dr. Leah Gunning-Francis, which is particularly relevant given the Justice Depart-ment’s settlement with the City of Ferguson.
And in May we will welcome new members to our family of faith, including the Confirmation of 8 young people on May 15.
The Easter season is a time for the good news of the Risen Christ to propel us to a wider awareness of our lives, to re-discover the sacred in ourselves and in our world, and enter that risk-taking place where God offers new life and a re-newed purpose. We embark on a journey towards our common future in which God’s reign truly becomes new life for all.
If the joy of Easter seems absent in our lives, this is also a season to let ourselves be held tightly by our church community, allowing them to walk with us, until Easter becomes a reality in our individual world.
Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Pastor Jim
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