From the Pastor - April 2019

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One of my favorite signs of spring is the emergence of wildflowers, like the Virginia bluebells in the picture.  Spring flowers bring a welcome splash of color to my yard after a nearly colorless winter.  The earliest wildflowers signal the renewal of life that comes with spring.

Easter is about such a renewal.  It is a celebration of the new life God offers in Jesus, who died and was raised to life again. 

But Easter is more than the cyclical return of a meteorological season.  Yes, we can see the hope and anticipation of Easter in the season of spring.  However, Easter is more than the repetition of the same options we experienced last year.

With Easter, we celebrate the transformation of life into new life.  The apostle Paul notes that the raising of Jesus Christ applies to us as well as to Christ (Romans 6:5).  His resurrection transforms our vulnerable and mortal human nature.  We are raised with Christ and transformed into a new creation, no longer defined by sin and death but eternally alive.

The resurrection is an eternal healing that also extends to the whole world.  Guilt and grief are turned into joy.  Sins are forgiven.  Darkness and despair yield to light and hope.  Injustice and oppression are resolved with justice and peace. 

While spring flowers are quite lovely, they merely give us a fragmentary glimpse of the lasting beauty of Christ's kingdom.  With faith in the risen Christ, we can live as Easter people, not simply as those expecting the same thing over and over, but as people who choose to participate in the joyful and hopeful new future that God intends for us and the whole world.

Happy Easter - Christ is risen!

Yours in Christ,
Brian

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