What a glorious Easter Sunday

Dear Congregation,

What a glorious Easter Sunday it was here at CCC! It was great to have the choir return after two years absence, with both former and new singers. The Alleluias filled the worship space as Hermes Morell walked the banner in and placed it across the front of the communion table. The chancel was lovely with sixteen (count them 16!) Easter lilies given in memory or honor of loved ones. There was much rejoicing as those present in the Sanctuary, greeted each other with the Passing of Christ’s peace.

Some of us also hadn’t seen each other in person in over two years of pandemic precautions, so it was especially sweet to share Christ’s peace. The good news is that Easter is not over! We are now in the season of Eastertide which lasts for fifty days until Pentecost, which is May 5th. I encourage those of you who are local to continue to be present in the Sanctuary each Sunday. Gathering with community is important as we ground ourselves in scripture, music, prayer, and proclamation of the Good News to take up the work of Easter.

What is this work, you might ask? Well in my Easter sermon I suggested that we turn the Proper Noun ‘Easter’ into a verb. Using Easter as an action verb we can think of it as bringing life and new possibilities into situations and lives that seem once and for all dead or dead-end. Right now at CCC we aren’t just collecting food for the Mark Krumich Food Pantry, we are eastering food. We aren’t simply hosting a Benefit Concert on April 30th for Ukrainian Refugee Relief, we are eastering a Benefit Concert. We aren’t just reaching out in support to the South Miami PFLAG chapter (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) we are eastering our support. I invite you to think of ways you can easter in your own lives.

Using Easter as state of being verb, we can confidently center our own inner being, our soul, in the deep-down assurance of God’s love. We can define ourselves as Easter people, Christians eastering in the world, sharing life and hope, working for justice and peace through our actions and with our words.

Never forget that we are not alone in all our eastering but are accompanied by the One who is Easter himself. The One who knows us by name, and calls us to serve with him, our Risen Savior, Jesus Christ.

Easter blessings to each of you. See you Sunday!

In Christ’s love,

Pastor Candy

 

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