Dear Friends in Christ,

     Is there anything more sacred than our observance of Holy Week and Easter Sunday morning? I want to thank all who made the celebration of our Lord's resurrection such a memorable experience for us all this year. I was certainly blessed by the prayers of the people, the ministry of those who prepared communion, the music ministry of Carol and the choir, and the wonderful sense of the Spirit of God moving in our midst every Sunday during Lent, right up to our Easter Sunday celebration. Thanks to everyone!

     Now, we move into the spring of the year, and how wonderful a reminder of the resurrection it is! Trees that have been bare all winter are beginning to bud, grass that has been brown for months due to drought has turned a rich green with renewing rains, lake, river and well water levels are on their way to being restored. All around us, what appeared to be dead or desolate is bursting forth with new life. That is precisely what we celebrated at Easter, isn't it? Because of the death and resurrection of our Lord, we who have been estranged from God and dying in our sin have been given the wondrous gift of forgiveness and newness of life through faith in Him. This is precisely what Paul meant when he referred to salvation as a "gift" from God. None of us could have accomplished this in our strength, by our own ingenuity or because of our own goodness. You see, as that beautiful song of faith says, "When He was on the cross, I was on his mind."

I hope with all my heart that as you read this, you will know that is true for you as well. When he was on the cross, he looked ahead in time and saw you! I love that Old Testament phrase, "Before you were formed in the womb, I knew you!" His suffering, his death, his resurrection were all for you. 

     I recently read a statement by the author of "The Vampire Chronicles," Ann Rice. After having been an avowed atheist for 38 years, she awoke one morning and thought, "Lord Jesus, I love you. I want to come back to you." So she's stopped writing about the darkness, evil and death of the vampire myths, and her newest works are entitled, "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt" and "Christ the Lord: The Journey to Cana." After 38 years of atheism, now that's resurrection!

     I pray that during this spring of the year, you will know the joy of such newness in your heart and life.

Yours in the Service of Christ and the Church

Bob

• Back to Archive
• Back to Media Gallery