Happy Easter! It’s the first day of the rest of your life! Jesus was born for us, God incarnate. Jesus lived with us, taught us, healed us and loved us. Jesus was willing to die for us, and now Jesus is returned, proving that God’s love is always stronger than death. It is the start of understanding the whole of creation in a different way. No matter your pain, your worry, your anger, your doubt, God is with you.
So go forth reveling in your freedom. Reveling in your chosen-ness. Reveling in your beloved identity. God reaches out to you! Calls you! Loves you! Nothing can ever be the same. We are never alone and abandoned. We are always loved and held.
Our collect for Sunday will ask that we “die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection.” What does living evermore with Jesus look like to you? Who are you called to reach out to? Who are you called to care for? Who are you called to love, just as you are loved?
As is our tradition, the Easter Offering will be divided between three ministries. This year we are supporting:
- Hope Center in Waukesha – In all of their programs, Hope Center reaches out in a caring manner, always trying to help people help themselves; hopefully empowering them to have the best possible quality of life given their limitations.
- The Gathering – The mission of the Gathering is to provide meals and associated services to those who would otherwise go hungry or without.
- Mary’s Discretionary Fund – I use the discretionary fund mainly to help local people with emergency situations. This generally means distributing gas cards and food cards to local residents.
Wishing you every joy and blessing as you delight in how wholly and completely you are loved by God. Happy Easter!
Mother Pippa