April 2023 Newsletter
I am looking forward to celebrating Easter Sunday with you. As we prepare our hearts to celebrate the resurrection of Christ once again, I’m looking back at what we’ve learned during our worship series focus for Lent, “Lent in Plain Sight.” Throughout scripture and the teachings of Jesus, we find many ordinary objects used to convey the power, the message, and the healing of God’s grace and love. We’ve discussed bread (my favorite!), coins, coats, oil, dust, shoes, and the cross. On Sunday, we will look at stones. Each object appears in our ordinary, everyday life. And each object is found in scripture, mediating God’s desire to help God’s people grow in faith.
The series has helped me remember that God works through the ordinary.
God delights in using creation to help us understand God’s movement in our lives. When we open our hearts and minds to God, we can see how the kingdom of God is always close at hand. God really is constantly present with us, seeking a deep and abiding relationship with all of God’s beloved people.
And because God works through the ordinary, we can trust that the resurrection of Jesus’ body on that first Easter morning means love is more powerful than death or evil. God really raised an ordinary human body from death to life, God’s only son. Mary touched the stone that had been rolled away. The disciples saw the common linen wrappings lying in the tomb. The tears that rolled down their faces revealed shock, joy, and amazement. Could God really have done this? Yes. God will always do the extraordinary through the ordinary.
Join us on Easter Sunday to celebrate the resurrection once again!
Easter Blessings,
Pastor Jared