The gift of Easter

Easter is almost upon us! Once again we will unfurl the banners, including the new one made just for Easter that has been buried beneath our altar since Ash Wednesday. We will arrange the lilies, fill the church and sing our praises to God who has made abundant life, freedom, joy, and hope possible by raising Jesus from the dead. The season of Lent will be behind us, but I hope that its disciplines of prayer, charity, and fasting have made the imprint of Christ’s image in each of you deeper and more strongly felt. I hope they continue to shape your life in Christ as we move into this season of celebration and thanksgiving.

The other evening at church Jim Carrigan pulled out his wallet, opened it, pulled out a driver’s license, and wrapped around it was a little scrap of paper. He gingerly unfolded the paper, and on it was the typed word “Alleluia.” It was the paper I handed out to everyone on Shrove Tuesday in 2008! He still carries it around, still takes it out to look at that word and remember. It’s been in his wallet so long now that it has taken new shape, the shape of the license and the little pocket it sits in. Its creases are firm and permanent. The ink is slightly faded. It’s become a part of him, and he shares it by carefully unwrapping it like a precious object and showing it to others. What a wonderful image for the gift of Easter.

I have enjoyed our soup suppers and discussions on Wednesday evenings this Lent. It has been important for us to talk together about what makes for peace, especially in places where the idea of peace seems hopeless. We have looked at the conflict between the Israeli and Palestinian people through various lenses and found ourselves struggling for words, but wanting to know more. We are connected through history and faith and through the promises of God to the inhabitants of that land, and their peace is connected to our own. Thank you for our discussions, and please continue to pray for reconciliation, peace, and justice in the Holy Land.
In Christ,
Pastor Jessica