From the Pastor

May 2004

"For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth..." -- Job 19:25

As I write this, it is the Sunday after Easter. Brian and I are preparing to go to worship at the church he grew up attending in his hometown of Charlotte, NC. Over the past few days, we have had the chance to experience Spring in all its glory. The season is a little further along here in the South, and the sights, sounds, and smells of Spring are very evident. The trees are full of leaves, and everywhere I look I see blooming azaleas and colorful flowers, and the air is full of the scent of newly cut grass and fresh breezes.

While I find beauty in all four seasons, this is my favorite time of year. I love the sight of buds on the trees and of tulips, crocus, and daffodils pushing their way through the soil. I love the rising temperatures (especially that!) and the longer lasting daylight hours. I enjoy hearing the birds and the sounds of children and adults alike outside enjoying the weather. I enjoyed the sounds of the first baseball game I have attended this year (especially the anguished sounds of my father-in-law, as my Toledo Mud Hens defeated his Charlotte Knights!). But I think that more than anything else, I enjoy the scents of the season.

Everything smells different in the Spring. There is a smell of moisture, of growth, of refreshment, and of newness in the air. To walk outside and inhale deeply is to smell flowers, rich earth, fresh air, and sunshine. Spring, for me, carries the very scent of life. It is the season of re-birth. It is the season of resurrection.

It seems fitting to me that we celebrate Easter--the most holy of days--in the Spring. Our Lord has been raised to bring us new life, and everywhere we look we see evidence of the renewal and growth of God's creation. The air is full of potential and possibility; both in the Church and the world we live and work in. Opportunities abound for us to be renewed and to grow as children of God and disciples of Christ. As we worship in this Easter season, we hear again the story of God's victory over sin and death. We are reminded of the promise that because Christ lives, we too will live. We remember that through Baptism, we have been united with Christ--in his death and in his resurrection.

What will this season of re-birth and new life bring for you? How might nature's season and the season of the Church inspire you to grow and bloom in your faith? How might you breathe in the Good News of Christ's resurrection and be renewed? How might the resurrection of our Lord make a difference to you and how you live your life? How much will you be energized to spread the Gospel?

I love this time of year. The world is renewed, because Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In Christ,
Pastor Brenda