“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” ~ John 1:5
Dear Friends in Christ,
This season has been very challenging for our community, our nation and our world. For many of us, this has been a time of darkness, of fear and anxiety. Our tendency is to run away from these times of darkness and to fill our lives with distractions and our time with busyness…but we may be missing the point. It is these moments that can often lead us closer to God and open our hearts to hear more profoundly God’s voice.
As followers of Jesus, we know that Jesus had his own journey through darkness. He too experienced rejection… moments when his friends betrayed and denied him…trials of great pain and suffering. And yet, even in this darkness, the light still had the power to shine through. During the trial of his last days, there were moments of light: friends gathered together for a meal, a woman anointing him with oil, a foreigner willing to help carry his cross, and a loving mother keeping vigil at the foot of his cross. Light continued to break through even in the darkest of challenges. It is the promise of this light that leads us to live as Resurrection people, trusting that God’s light and love will always shine through. It is this promise of Light that will walk us through this time as well.
There will be several opportunities for reflection, study, worship and yes...celebration through Holy Week. The attached sheet lists the opportunities available. You are invited to be a part of one or all these experiences. On Easter morning we will be sharing together in Holy Communion. Although we are not physically together, I trust that the Spirit of God can transcend even in the midst of our current constraints. I invite you to prepare some bread and juice or water, enough for all in your family to share. Place them on a plate and cover them in preparation for this holy ministry. My prayer is that through this meal we will be reminded of God’s presence and strengthen in the tangible grace of this sacrament.
In your envelope you have been given other tangible reminders of the Holy Week journey (palm, cross, butterfly). As you walk through this Holy Week, let these tokens guide your walk from the cross to the hope of resurrection. If you are able, I encourage you to give a special gift of joy and thanksgiving to the church so that we may continue the ministries and outreach to those who are in greatest need at this time. Any gift would be a great blessing!
The Good News of this journey is that we have a God who knows our struggles, who has walked and still walks with us and who leads us into New Life!
In God’s continual Light and Love,
Pastor Cyndi
