Happy Easter! The season of Easter lasts all the way to Pentecost. Each year, I try to get Jason to let us leave the Easter decorations up for those 50 days.  It’s a battle I never win. I hope that you were able to have a joy-filled Easter Sunday! After worship, we enjoyed a quiet afternoon with family, which is my idea of perfect.

This month we will be looking at what happens in scripture in the days and weeks after the first Easter. What does it mean to live in a post-resurrection world, a world where Jesus is no longer just a spiritual leader but our savior?

On the first Sunday of the month, we will look at John 20:19-31 which recounts the events of the evening of the first Easter. We often utter the phrase “seeing is believing”.  However, we will learn that faith is stronger than what we can see with our eyes.

On the second Sunday of the month, we will turn to Luke 24:36-48. Here we will look at a different account of Jesus appearing to his disciples after his resurrection. The disciples were confused about what was happening.  Nothing made sense to them. In this passage, we are reminded that spending time and listening to someone is far more important than understanding or being right.

On the third Sunday of April, we will look at one of the most well-known verses in scripture: John 3:16-24. We often just read the first verse in this passage, but there is a lot to learn from the larger context. There is more to faith than just believing. Our faith is lived out by how we live our lives, and God’s truth is revealed by our actions.

Finally, the final Sunday of April will bring us to John 15:1-8. This is the passage I quote nearly every time we celebrate the Sacrament of Communion. Jesus reminds us that he is the vine and we are the branches. What does it mean to abide in Jesus and how can we bear good fruit?

I hope that you will join us each week this month, whether in person or through the livestream. I know that God is at work in our congregation and the world.

Blessings,

Pastor Emily