Dear Rose Park,
Easter has come and gone. Lilies have been ordered, received, and taken home. Chocolate bunnies are now on clearance. Leftover ham is being used for cold sandwiches. Our Easter pastels have been relegated back into the closet and now we’re left with the question: what do we do now?
Naturally, our eyes will look to the next thing. We’ll start thinking about Tulip Time and Memorial Day Weekend. Perhaps we’ve already made summer plans and if you have children, then in all likelihood you’ve already signed them up for one or two summer camps or programs. It is our human nature to always be looking to the next thing. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy making plans and being prepared but when we spend so much time thinking about the next thing we fail to enjoy the process of the current thing. It reminds me of the words from a previous letter to the church written by our own Ava Lemire.
When Easter comes around it’s like a friend’s birthday; you talk to them more, are kinder to them and pay attention because you want them to know that you are there…but Jesus didn’t die on the cross for you to simply make Him feel extra special for just 1 of the 365 days of the year. Instead, He wants us to rejoice in His resurrection every day. He wants us to live without fear and shame every day. He wants us to celebrate Easter every day.
Sometimes, I worry we approach the rhythms of the Church with the posture and mindset of what’s next? Specifically, we’ve twisted Easter into an outcome, a result, or even a finish line and now we’re left unsatisfied and confused about what to do next. Instead, I’d like to echo Ava Lemire, and remind each other that we can celebrate the joys of resurrection and the promise of the Easter story today, tomorrow, and forevermore. Easter isn’t a finish line; it’s a process in which we live every day.
This is all to say, join us again at Rose Park this Sunday April 27 as we continue to wave the palm branches, shout Hosanna, and declare He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mark