By Pastor Wes Poole
1 Peter 1:3:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. – NRSV
A man approached a little league baseball game one afternoon. He asked a boy in the dugout what the score was. The boy responded, “Eighteen to nothing–we’re behind.”
“Boy,” said the spectator, “I’ll bet you’re discouraged.”
“Why should I be discouraged?” replied the little boy. “We haven’t even gotten up to bat yet!”
This past Sunday, we gathered together to celebrate Easter as a family of faith. “Gathered together!” What a wonderful thing to be able to say…finally! I hope I never take such things for granted again! Easter is always about the new life we have received through Jesus’ resurrection and victory over sin and death. Still, I’m not sure I have ever appreciated the reality of that new life like I did on Sunday. It truly felt like a rebirth; a feeling that I hope we can grasp onto and continue in the months ahead. While we have never stopped being the church, COVID notwithstanding, the spirit this past weekend was one of a church that is now able to re-embrace its ministry and start to move forward once again.
Like the little leaguer above, this past year has made it seem that we haven’t even gotten a chance, as a church, to pick up the proverbial bat and give it a swing. Maybe so, but the hope we have in the Risen Lord Jesus is one born of the promises of God, and will never fail, whatever the external circumstances. Building on the joy and momentum of Easter, it is my prayer that we will soon be able to reclaim a sense of normalcy, pick up the proverbial bat, and swing for the fences! We are the church, and God has promised us that with Him, all things are possible. Why should we be discouraged? Christ is Risen indeed! Hope abounds, and the world is waiting to see what we have in store for it!
May the joy of this Eastertide fill us with peace, renewed energy, and a passion for service!
Let us pray…
God of Easter Joy, we thank you for the gift of new life given to us in the Risen Lord Jesus. Inspire us to great acts of love and service in the coming year; that all may come to know that abundant life. We pray these things in the name of Jesus, the Risen Christ. Amen.
Be well, be kind, and be safe. See you in church!
Blessings always,
Pastor Wes Poole †