April is here and we are bringing our Lenten journey to its final days. I hope that you have been keeping up with your Lenten Passport, adding a new sticker each week.

Jason, Robby, and I will be heading off to St. Petersburg, Florida for the first week of the month.  I am excited to share that we will once again welcome Rev. Dr. Jim Gilchrist to our pulpit to kick off the month on April 6. He will be sharing a message centered around gathering together at God’s table which is the perfect way to prepare our hearts to celebrate communion.

The following Sunday, April 13 is Palm Sunday. The Deacons will be continuing their tradition of holding the Fill-A-Truck event which benefits the Bread of Life Food Pantry. Our worship that day will complete our Lenten Passports by looking at how God moves towards the cross.

As we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we will start to turn our hearts and minds towards the week ahead and the events of Holy Week. We will hold our Holy Week service on Good Friday, April 18, at 7:30 PM remembering the gift of the Lord’s Supper and the sacrifice Jesus made for each of us.

Each year, I look forward to the juxtaposition between leaving the Good Friday service, solemn and heavy, and entering the sanctuary on Easter morning.  Easter Sunday falls on April 20 and I know it will be a wonderful day of worship here at Glenshaw Presbyterian! We will have a time of fellowship before worship starting at 9:00. The service will be full of joy and focus on how God moved out of the tomb. I know the sanctuary will be full of flowers, light, and excitement as we celebrate the miracle of Easter.

The season of Easter does not end on Easter Sunday, it is just beginning. In fact, the season of Easter lasts all the way until Pentecost which falls on June 8 this year. We will spend this season in the book of Acts looking at how God does unexpected things in our lives. We will begin this exploration on April 27 focusing on Acts 5:27-32 where we will find an unexpected turnaround.

I hope you’ll join us for all the upcoming worship opportunities. May your Lenten journey lead you into an Easter season full of blessings.

Pastor Emily