Feel the joy of being together....

​Dear friends and members of Resurrection Lutheran,

As we continue living these seven weeks of the Easter season, the transformative power of the resurrection appears more and more brightly.  Life wins!!!  Death—and all its destructive power—has been conquered!  

There are signs of this promise becoming embodied among us.  The horrendous death rates from the coronavirus have gone way down.  Many have been able to get vaccinated against this virus.  Families and friends are being able to see one another in person and even hug each other!

And we at Resurrection are going to resume in person worship this month!  Alleluia!

We are still asking that you observe proper precautions at these gatherings: wash your hands, wear a mask and keep appropriate physical space between you and others.  But feel the joy of being together, of having made it through this past year, of bringing all that we are into the healing presence of God.

In the next couple of months, as we live into this new reality, I invite you to be reflective about what you have learned and what you have lost.  There will be opportunities to share these reflections in small groups.  I hope you will all join in.  I believe it will be essential to take the time to acknowledge and grieve our losses before we can truly move forward with joy and purpose.

This congregation is about being real: no need to put on your “church clothes” when you come here.  This honesty will aid us on our road to recovery.  We don't have to become “busy” right away, but we do need to sit beside one another and pray and cry and laugh.  And together ask the question, what next?  What is God calling us to next?  How have we been changed and prepared for the future?

I imagine those early disciples had to do some of this work.  They were filled with joy when they experienced Jesus' resurrection, but their lives were radically changed when Jesus left the earth, leaving them the Holy Spirit and the continuing mission of making God's love known even in the face of powerful hatred.

Now that mission has been passed on to us.  Pentecost Sunday—this year on May 23—is the day the church remembers how Jesus gave the Holy Spirit and the Christian church was born.  We will celebrate that birthday together with a party after worship on May 23.  During worship, we will celebrate Joanna Wick's confirmation, receive new members and reaffirm our baptism.  There will also be an opportunity that morning to sign up for one of the small reflection groups.

Pray for one another.  Pray that the Holy Spirit lead us into a future that is faithful and filled with great love.  

I am so excited and so grateful for the opportunity to be the body of Christ together—in person as well as in spirit!!

If you have any questions or concerns you would like to share with me, please feel free to call or email me:  262-930-2726, [email protected].

In peace and joy,
Pastor Mary