From the Pastoral perspective:

Dear Victorious Ones!

One of the great questions asked in the Scriptures was asked of Mary Magdalene by two angels, "Woman, why are you weeping?" (John 20:13) That is a great question as we begin this season of Easter on Sunday, April 12.

There is certainly nothing wrong with weeping. After all, Jesus wept on occasion - at the death of his close friend, Lazarus, for instance. The shortest verse in all of Scripture is John 11:35 – “Jesus wept.” Jesus also sorrowed over the dead lives of people who lived as if they had no hope ... people who existed from day to day not knowing who they were or where they were going or why they were here.

"Woman, why are you weeping?" It is a good question to ask of ourselves as we bask in the glow of the empty tomb during this season of Easter. Do we weep as people without hope? Do we cry over the mundane things of life - the spilled milk and the assorted aches and pains and the unpaid bills?

"Woman, why are you weeping?" He is no longer in the grave. He is not among the dead things of life where there is no meaning ... no purpose ... no hope. He is alive! He is risen! We have hope!

"Woman, why are you weeping?" This Easter season bury your sorrow, your tears, and all your mundane things in the empty tomb. Live your life as if it were really true that the grave could not hold Him and cannot hold us.

The season of Easter lasts for a week of Sundays ... seven Sundays in all - the celebration of resurrection to eternal life too awesome an undertaking for just one Sunday. So the season of Easter begins this year on April 12 and runs through May 24 - each Sunday a mini celebration of the Easter message of hope and new life brought by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

May God's gracious Spirit surround you and hold you as you celebrate in your life the good news that He is risen! He is alive ... and we do have hope!

Blessings in the Risen One,
Rev. Daniel Deutsch, Interim Pastor

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