Jesus the vine, we are the branches;
life in the Spirit the fruit of the tree;
heaven to earth, Christ to the people,
gift of the future now flowing to me.
Jesus is risen and we shall arise.
Give God the glory! Alleluia!
- Herbert F. Brokering, “Alleluia! Jesus is risen!” ELW 377
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The sun is out as I write this newsletter article, and it really feels like spring. Spring is the season when the earth itself demonstrates God’s preference for new life sprung from the grasp of death. Though the winter has felt long and dark, brighter days are ahead. The green of not only grass but budding bushes and trees has begun, and the first flowers in their yellows and purples have graced us with their presence surrounding the sign in front of our church building.
Indeed, such signs of new life are present in more than just flowers at Lutheran Church of the Savior. The past two Sundays were Palm Sunday / Sunday of the Passion and of course the great festival of Easter, but even so the number of people filling our pews and enlivening our worship was more than heartening. One hundred people exactly the first week were followed by 145 worshipers on Easter Sunday, the highest number we’ve gathered there in a full three years, since Easter 2008. Now, the work of the church is far more than numbers in pews, but surely the excitement of seeing visitors, returning longtime members and regular attendees all in the same room together inspires in us a hope that God’s work will continue to thrive in this community.
We come together to worship God and to care for one another, to hear God’s word and taste God’s presence and allow the Holy Spirit to send us out into the world for love and service of all in need. Elsewhere in this newsletter you can read about the surprising amount of money we’re blessed to be giving to Loaves and Fishes and Ministry with Community through our Lenten offerings, combined with a Thrivent grant and other partners. Five of us gathered on the morning of Good Friday to experience a walking worship service in downtown Kalamazoo in support of our homeless sisters and brothers here. Through financial support and physical presence we can make a statement about our values and a difference in the lives of our neighbors.
In what other ways will we of Lutheran Church of the Savior live out the new life we have in the resurrection of Christ?
I thought about concluding this article with that question, but the thing is, it’s not just rhetorical. I really want to know what you think: How will we take all the energy and excitement of our Holy Week and Easter celebrations and transform it into love and service to God and our neighbor?
The assumption underlying this question is of course that it is you, the church, who are best equipped to hear the cries of those in need and bring words and deeds of God’s healing and love. I am your pastor, and proudly so, but the inspiration and energy and work of loving and serving comes from you, God’s people. Our decisions as to how we allot our resources in love and service are not my decisions, but come from our committees, our council, and each of you who has known God’s love and can share that love with others. The tagline of our Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, stated on our logo and on the beautiful banner some of you created recently, says, “God’s Work. Our Hands.” Help me to identify that work in our own congregation and community.
Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Pastor Andrew
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