Season of Easter

Dear Creator Family,

What a joyful Easter celebration we had as we gathered on Resurrection Sunday! The bright sunshine and brisk spring air were tangible reminders of a God who makes all things new. It was wonderful to see our sanctuary filled with so many of our Parish Family and those who joined us to worship on this most blessed day. I pray that the scent of the altar lilies, the image of the colorfully flowered cross, and the familiar and celebratory hymns stay with you this week and throughout the Easter season.

We certainly have something to sing about – a God who heals, renews, abides, comforts, calls, waits and walks with us every step. Even in those dark and troubling times of our lives, it is God, the eternal “spring,” who makes life as fresh and new as our Easter Sunday proclamation. I pray that you will know how completely “Christ is risen” in your life.

Speaking of healing, I feel a special blessing as I enter into this first week after Easter and embark on a long-awaited surgical adventure. Today, Tuesday, I will undergo a near-complete rebuild of my right shoulder. As you might expect, I am a bit anxious and also hopeful. I am ready to be free from the pain and discomfort that this aging joint has caused me for many seasons, but also apprehensive about what lies ahead. I’m sure there are many who can relate to this complicated and trepidatious feeling.

I have as my comfort the Easter promises we so recently sang about and the prayer and fellowship of our parish family. I am grateful for the many leaders, servers, overseers, planners, and doers that keep the rhythm of our corporate life steady and sure. Special thanks to the Altar Guild this season, who give their care and time each season—every Sunday!—but who bear an extra burden in this one. Thank you to the Vestry members who stepped up to help, and to Barbara for coordinating and overseeing such a meaningful liturgical time in our corporate life. Thank you also to the willing lay leaders and readers who offer themselves, lend their voices, and make our worship truly shared. I am grateful for the ushers who guide and make newcomers feel comfortable. I am grateful for our A/V specialist and for all those who make a point of “Zooming” with us to enlarge our worship space by the miles! There are so many who are an integral part of our worship life! Please make a point of attending on Morning Prayer Sunday(s)—obviously to “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,” but also to support our lay leadership.

I am looking forward to convalescence at home before beginning the hard (and long-anticipated) physical therapy. Please keep me and our parish family members in your prayers. Where would we be without the care and intercessions of our Body? It is such a gift to offer our spiritual focus to God on behalf of another. Thank you for keeping our parish family strong in prayer and in care. My heart and spirit are with you in this blessed season of Easter.

Recovering in Christ,
Fr. Bill+