Pastor’s Pen:  Looking Back as well as Forward           

As a kid—like most kids—I always looked forward to summer.  It was filled with fishing, pick-up games of baseball or football, church & scout camp, a family vacation or two, and there were always a boat load of chores too (….or what seemed like a boat load to a 12-year old).  As a family, we always looked forward to the “big trip,” that is, driving over 3,000 miles round trip in an old green and white Ford van to visit my grandparents in Delaware and upstate New York.  There were family laughs, beach getaways, board walks & rides, late nights, and card games.  It was great fun, but it was over in a flash leaving us wanting more.

I know that sometimes we feel the same way with Christmas and Easter—it’s just hard to squeeze so much joy into just one day.  For instance on April 24, Grace had a great Easter Day with over 300 people celebrating the resurrection of our Lord, and it all started with Lent and Holy Week.  It was a real team effort and I want to pass on my thanks to:  the choir, chimes, brass & our other musicians, the Altar Guild, readers, our “spring cleaners,” our children singers, the church staff, the Board of Youth for providing the awesome breakfast & the Boards of Fellowship, Property Management, Christian Education, and Outreach too, also to our Spanish Prayer & Praise folks for cleaning up after the breakfast, and everyone else who helped out during Lent, Holy Week, and Easter Day.  We couldn’t have done it     without you, and as I said before, it was a team effort, and that’s the best kind!

But now if you’re feeling those summertime “kid blues” this Easter because the trip is over so-to-speak, and you’ve got “school” (or work, or chores) staring you in the face—don’t worry, Easter isn’t over, literally.  In fact the season of Easter lasts for 8 Sundays—all the way to June 5.  There will be Easter hymns & white vestments remembering the resurrection of our Lord, more alleluias, and more Scripture readings about our risen Lord and His steel-like love for us—because nothing can separate us from the love of Christ Jesus—not our sins and not even our death.

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ changes everything.  We do not have to fear death as the end of the story.  At Easter, love came down and the brokenness of our sin-filled lives and the world is replaced by the victory, forgiveness, and sure hope of eternal life with Jesus Christ in body and soul!  Now that’s the meaning of Easter and we get to  enjoy the season for weeks to come.  I’m looking forward to it, and I hope you are too!

And since we’re on the topic of looking forward, there are two quick things I want to mention for late May:
· For starters on May 26, we’ll have a new summer intern, Andrew Rosse, from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis.  He’s a first year seminary student who also speaks Spanish.  Andrew will be helping with:  Sunday worship, youth group, our Spanish Prayer and Praise Service, Vacation Bible School, visitations, and other things.  Please give Andrew a warm welcome when you see him He’ll be easy to spot because he’ll be the other guy wearing a clerical collar on Sundays.
· Also, on Sunday, May 22, Grace will be recognizing Armed Services, and Chaplain Eric Erkkinen who is the Assistant Director, Ministry of the Armed Services of the LCMS will be joining us during worship and the Sunday school hour.  Please save the date.

Happy Easter and remember:
Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed, Alleluia!

Pastor Karl