Dear Friends,

We tend to expect that big world-changing events will be highly dramatic and public – the storming of the Normandy beaches, the moon landing, 9/11. Surprisingly then, the most impactful, transformative happenings in all of history, namely the death and the return from the dead of Jesus of Nazareth, occurred without fanfare and in obscurity. On the third day after his crucifixion and burial Jesus quietly walked out of the tomb and struck up a conversation with his friend, who thought he was a gardener. It was only after he spoke her name, “Mary”, that recognition dawned, and her world changed. She was the first witness.

The same sort of thing has happened to most, if perhaps not all yet, of us. There comes a time when our spirit awakens to the truth that the risen Christ is calling us by name. With me I suspect it was while reading something in my room by myself. With my brother it was while watching a small bird on the clothesline. There were no trumpet blasts, no headlines, and no fireworks. We all have our own unique stories which lead us to the simple conclusion: “He is risen indeed!”

We have a strange existence. Wonders abound in our life experiences, in nature and in technological advances. At the same time we know of horrific wars, insidious diseases and corruption in high places. We are wonderful yet broken people in a wonderful but broken world. The resurrection of Jesus brings us hope. As Peter writes, “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.” 1 Peter 1:3,4 Bill and Gloria Gaither put it this way: “Because he lives I can face tomorrow. Because he lives all fear is gone. Because I know he holds the future, life is worth the living just because he lives.”

Please join us in celebrating the astounding resurrection of our Lord as we share in the Lord’s Supper on Easter Sunday, March 31^st.   

In Christ’s love,

Harry