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Easter People

The Messenger, Worship
confirmation, Mission Accepted, stewardship, The Messenger 2022-05-01

By Pastor Melaina Trice

As I notice the budding of leaves and flower buds on trees, I am amazed. Being from Philadelphia, I love that the Northeast corridor gets four seasons.  I have a brother who lived in Denver and he talks about how you can get all four seasons in one day. I thought that was bizarre until moving back to Maryland in 2014. This spring, I have experienced summer, winter, spring, and fall all in one week. I have experienced all the seasons in one day. It’s impossible to  prepare and I find myself praying each morning that I have dressed the kids properly. It feels like each day is a whirlwind.

This reminds me of the disciples’ experience on their first Easter. They experienced a whirlwind. Despite Jesus’ preparing them, they seemed very much unprepared. They had followed Jesus for a few years and it must have felt mostly like summer; time stood still as they soaked up the Son’s rays. Jesus was betrayed and sent to the cross where he hung until he took his last breath. This must have felt like winter where all seemed to die, and the world must have looked grey. And then Easter morning, the tomb was found to be empty. It would be easy to say that this must have felt like spring but it must have felt more like all the seasons in one day. Mary Magdalene’s response at the tomb seems to confirm this hypothesis. She went from frenzy, to worry and grief, to mystery and intrigue, and then to joy of seeing. She went from deep despair and crying to great joy all in one day.

We often want our praise to be compiled of only the summer and spring times. We lift our hands because of joy we feel as we look at the blessings, budding, and blooming of dreams and aspirations realized, and the times where the light of the Son seem apparent. We struggle to lift our hands in praise in those times when things are being pruned, dreams, and aspirations seem to be falling off, the light seems unperceivable, when we are grieving and feel deep despair. We would often prefer the Easter celebration over Good Friday. Mary Magdalene preached her first sermon, “I Have Seen the Lord” after the whirlwind of experiencing it all because the truth is that God is there in every season of our lives and that is the source of our worship. That is the source of our praise. It is what propels us to lift our hands in thanksgiving; not simply for spring and summer but for winter and fall seasons of our lives. God is with us.

We, Easter People, will continue to worship God in all our seasons. We will worship with gratitude for God’s presence in our lives. Last year, we discussed the mission for which we are called. We are invited to accept this mission even when it seems impossible because we know that all things are possible with God. This year, we will look at what this mission is, now that we have accepted it. Our Stewardship campaign, Mission Accepted, starts on May 8 and ends June 5. Our Confirmation class will be confirmed on June 5, which is Pentecost Sunday. Additionally, we have the privilege of hosting this year’s Annual Conference that occurs from June 1 to 3. We will celebrate the ordination of Pastor Heerak Kim!

Let us worship God together!

See you at church.

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