March, 2008

 

Dear Friends,

 

        Wow, Easter is early this year!  I’ve been hearing that for weeks, especially among the crowd I hang out with:  ministers, music directors and Sunday School teachers.  Palm Sunday is March 16; on Maundy Thursday, the 20th at 7:30, the kids receiving First Communion will help me with a light supper and Holy Communion, a celebration to which you’re all invited; Good Friday is the 21st and at 7:30 we’ll have a solemn service of Light and Darkness; and finally, Easter morning is March 23, and we’ll have two services, at 9:00 and 11:00. 

 

        I can’t tell you why Easter is early this season.  The date changes each year, and if you surf the ‘Net for how one figures the precise date, you may find this explanation:  Easter Sunday is the Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon date for the year (see Christian Prayer Books for proof of this concise definition).  Or, if you’re an Easter geek, I’ll refer you to a page with the exact algorithms for determining the date, which will offer, after eight paragraphs of algebraic hieroglyphics, this helpful summation:  In other words Easter Day is:   if e < 11 then (e + 21) March, else (e ‑ 10) April.  Got that?  

 

        So again, I don’t know why we’re early.  I only know we are.  Just like you, I look at the calendar and say, “Holy Cow, Easter is early!”  I don’t know about you, but this puts me in a wild rush.  In addition to our Holy Week services, we’re in rehearsals for an ecumenical community theatre production of the musical GODSPELL, which I’m directing and which we’ll be performing at Gilead on April 4, 5, and 6.  Holy Cow, that’s two weeks after Easter!  To top it off, we’re in the midst of a campaign to increase attendance at Gilead (and hence, our tithes) by 20% in 2008, and we’ve got lots of ideas in play about how to get the –well, seats in the seats, people in the pews.  (YOU showing up next Sunday would be a grand start.)  There’s so much going on!  And here comes Easter, galloping at us without hesitation, shouting at us to get out our pastels and spring bonnets and put them on under our woolen winter wear.

 

        But wait – think about how wonderful this is.  Life never stops or slows down, does it?  And in the midst of our craziness and hectic man-made (and woman-made) plans, even in the snow of winter, Easter takes us by surprise.  It is early.  It comes whether we want it or not.  It comes whether we get our to-do list done or not.  Easter has nothing to do with anything we do.  Christ is alive.  Christ has conquered sin and death.  By the grace of God, and irrelevant to our calendars, New Life is born.  Christ goes to the cross, dying for our debt, and is laid in the tomb, dead, buried, and beyond hope.  And then, miraculously, despite what we know of what is possible or what can be, he lives again that we might live.  He is raised up that we might have life, and have it abundantly, have it joyfully. 

 

        Thanks be to God that before we’ve even finished shoveling the snow from our walks, Easter comes.  Thanks be to God that when we’re buried under our projects and day-planners, Easter comes.  Thanks be to God that when we’re grieving and in pain that is beyond what we believe we can bear, beyond what we dare to hope for, Easter comes.

 

        Easter is early this year.

 

                                        Love,

                                       

 

                                        Martin

 

Add To read Martin's letters from past months, please click here.