April 2010

"So now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul..."
— Deuteronomy 10:12

Nobody expected Easter. No one anticipated the empty tomb. Neither the disciples, the guards, the Roman and Jewish leaders, nor the women who came to anoint the body of our Lord — none of them had any idea that God was going to make that serene Sunday morning the turning point of all history.
And here we are 2000 years later, and what are we expecting God to do in our lives, in our homes, in our church and community? Easter should be the flame that always lights the fuse of hope in us. It should shake us up to realize that God can bring things to life that we thought
were dead, and force us to re-think life’s limitations. Easter is there to inspire us to live beyond boundaries and love beyond expectations. It turns us into “Easter people” who are moved and shaped by this incredible good news.
So what does it mean to be Easter people? It means:

1. We are different — where the world tells us we need to keep climbing higher and accumulating more, we know we’ve got all we need. So we act a little differently from people who think all we need is (in the words of Howard Hughes) “just a little more.” Instead, we spend our lives as Jesus did: giving ourselves away. On April 18, “Time and Talent Sunday,” we will look for new ways we can share in God’s work and give away some of what God has given us.

2. We are family — trusting Jesus to accompany and guide us, we find our lives bathed in the light of the empty tomb. His grace enlightens our relationships and his concerns become our own. Jesus opened the circle and brought us into his family, and now brothers and sisters in Christ are all around us. This month we will celebrate a baptism and a new member reception — as God continues to keep the circle open and call more and more people to come join the family.

3. We are ready — God placed us in the center of a world of needs. People need help, people need hope, and we have both to share. Thanks for being ready to share your time and talent and treasure on behalf of Jesus, our Lord. Imagine — this adventure that began with a cross and an empty tomb, carries on through your hands and your heart!

Peace,
Pastor Scott