Can I let you in on something? I am a sucker for Christmas movies. I find encouragement in how a town comes together, or relationships are mended, or some adversity is overcome, and Christmas gets saved. Yes, I know, this makes me a sentimental guy. What can I say? I’m flawed.
There aren’t as many movies about Easter as there are Christmas. One I found online was titled, The Dog Who Saved Easter -I give it a ‘maybe’. Perhaps if there were more movies about saving Easter, I would feel more prepared to suggest how we go about it. Or, possibly, we don’t need films about how to save Easter because Easter is all tied up in God’s plan to save us?
The governor’s executive order (as it currently stands) runs through April 13th. This means we won’t be gathering here at our church to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. We will celebrate Easter on April 12th! We will lift our voices to sing of how our Lord has beaten the grave. We will hear God’s word, and we will contemplate what such great good news means in our lives, and for every soul God has created. We just won’t do it while gathered at our church building.
I don’t know when we will once again safely, and advisedly gather in our church building for worship, but it is my plan that when we do, we will celebrate Easter! I want to join my voice with yours on that Sunday and hear the organ, and the band fill the worship space with glorious music in praise of our resurrected savior. Even more than just wanting it, I need it!
Please send me an email if you have ideas of how we can make April 12th a special celebration. Should we each step outside and sing? Should we each put some message in our front yard? What shall we do to witness to our community of the enduring faith we have in Jesus? How shall we help all to know we serve the one who overcame all of our adversities? I’m excited to get your email. srpastor@uticaumc.org
The church still goes on. Our Leadership Board will be meeting via WebEx technology yet this week. Our leaders will be briefed on how we are working to meet the governor’s executive order, of the current state of our church finances, and of the energy-saving measures we’ve undertaken, and more.
I look forward to recording a message for you this coming Sunday. If you need help opening it on your computer, please reach out. (Or, better yet, call your grandchild, and get them to watch it, too!)
Grace and Peace,
Rev. Don