Volume X II Issue 3
March 2009
From Pastor Keck. . . It felt good. Didn t it? Up until that point, it had been such a cold winter. Record cold days followed by multiple snowstorms. The best we could hope for was perhaps the temperature might inch above freezing and it would stop snowing. And then, all of a sudden, the earth began to warm. The ice on the roof of the parsonage fell with an incredibly loud crash. Snow banks dissolved before my eyes. I even saw a couple of insects buzzing around my home. It was 60 degrees! That day, I felt myself renewed and reinvigorated. Spring had arrived. The only problem was that it was early February. Ok, the effects were temporary, but much appreciated. From time to time, we all need to be warmed and reminded of just how blessed we are. We need a word of hope, a loving gesture, and a sign that things will get better. We need to be reminded that winter is not going to last forever God is preparing a new spring for us. It will not be long now. We have entered the season of Lent and Easter is but a few weeks away. The days are brighter and the temperatures gradually warming. Yet as we begin to emerge from
winter, our economy has entered into a financial winter of its own. Our economy has not been this cold since the great depression; and there are few signs of any warming trends. Indeed, we may be in for a long winter. So we bundle up and hunker down, not knowing how cold things might get. Like the forces of nature, we are being buffeted by worldwide economic trends that are beyond our control. Or are they? Before Jesus left his followers, he breathed out the Holy Spirit upon them, granting them the power to heal and forgive. He made of his followers a powerful community of believers, capable of changing lives and the world around them. What Jesus said to them was that he left with them everything they needed to continue his ministry. Into a cold and dark world, God sent the light of the world to change the world. Now we are inheritors of that light and the power to change the world. The warming power of Easter has been placed within the church - our church. In our present economic crisis we can care for those who suffer. In the icy winds of hopelessness and despair, we can bring a spirit of hopeful renewal. As
our financial wealth declines, our spiritual wealth and well-being can still increase. Jesus Christ has given us this power and commanded his followers to feed my sheep. The secret of Easter is not simply the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is also the revelation that the power of Easter has been entrusted to us. We can contribute to the spiritual forces of spring in our world. We can warm this world through the sharing of the love of Jesus Christ. We may not be able to change the economy, but we can change the weather of our hearts and fill our world with love and compassion. We have that power. Easter is coming. It is already here.
Reminder Daylight Savings time begins on Sunday, March 8th at 2:00 am. Spring ahead one hour!