The Pastor’s Page
May News Letter
Scripture tells us about two important gardens: the Garden of Eden and the garden in which Jesus’ body was laid in a tomb after his crucifixion. At first glance, it might seem that one of the gardens marked the beginning of life, the other the end of a life. In the long run, however, people were cast out of the Garden of Eden, while Mary Magdalene and the disciples found the garden tomb to be a place where life had been renewed.
Easter brings us new life that is eternal. The risen Christ promised it. Jesus promised that through the Holy Spirit he would never leave us. Jesus promised that the Spirit would be our comforter, our source of reassurance in difficult times, our guide and our strength. The Son of God could not be defeated and through his death, death has been defeated forever. Jesus’ death was a prelude to life everlasting for him and for us.
After his death, Jesus came back to living people. The disciples experienced his comforting, uplifting presence that guided them through extremely difficult times. Eternal life for us, too, is not only hope for a life hereafter, but a hope for something that can begin now, if we are open to Christ’s presence through the Holy Spirit. To be sure, evil and suffering and death still exist. All of us endure times when life’s goodness is hard to find. Yet, the power of Christ’s resurrection restores us. Even when we stumble and fall, or reach the point where we seem to see nothing but darkness, a hand reaches down to lift us up and a divine light shows us a way out.
The “good life” that we all strive to have will inevitably include times of accomplishment, joy and celebration; and other times when sorrow or loss will get us down. At all times, though, if we can feel and experience the power of Jesus’ eternal presence with us, there is hope. According to church tradition, each and every Sunday is a “little Easter,” a day of renewal, a fresh start for the new week ahead. In the good life that God has given us, God’s good news comes to us again and again as we move along toward that final day when we will “dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
May you all enjoy a blessed Easter season!
Easter brings us new life that is eternal. The risen Christ promised it. Jesus promised that through the Holy Spirit he would never leave us. Jesus promised that the Spirit would be our comforter, our source of reassurance in difficult times, our guide and our strength. The Son of God could not be defeated and through his death, death has been defeated forever. Jesus’ death was a prelude to life everlasting for him and for us.
After his death, Jesus came back to living people. The disciples experienced his comforting, uplifting presence that guided them through extremely difficult times. Eternal life for us, too, is not only hope for a life hereafter, but a hope for something that can begin now, if we are open to Christ’s presence through the Holy Spirit. To be sure, evil and suffering and death still exist. All of us endure times when life’s goodness is hard to find. Yet, the power of Christ’s resurrection restores us. Even when we stumble and fall, or reach the point where we seem to see nothing but darkness, a hand reaches down to lift us up and a divine light shows us a way out.
The “good life” that we all strive to have will inevitably include times of accomplishment, joy and celebration; and other times when sorrow or loss will get us down. At all times, though, if we can feel and experience the power of Jesus’ eternal presence with us, there is hope. According to church tradition, each and every Sunday is a “little Easter,” a day of renewal, a fresh start for the new week ahead. In the good life that God has given us, God’s good news comes to us again and again as we move along toward that final day when we will “dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
May you all enjoy a blessed Easter season!
