Dear Peace Members and Friends,
Gerhard Manley Hopkins has a poem in which he inserts the prayer, “Easter in us.” He uses the noun Easter as a verb. “Easter in us.” Let Easter get into us, come where we live. Which sounds strange.
But that’s exactly what happens on Easter evening. Luke’s gospel tells us that two of Jesus’ followers are on the 7-mile walk to the village of Emmaus, talking about all the events that had happened in Jerusalem that morning, when suddenly the now Risen Christ joins them. But they don’t recognize him. He is, to them, a stranger. Yet, by the time they reach Emmaus and eat with him, they have moved from discouragement and despair to hope and faith. The Emmaus Road is the road each of us, too, gets to walk. The church, Christians, are a group of people on a road, where, wonder of wonders, the Risen Christ meets us.
We’ll hear more about this post-resurrection appearance on the Emmaus Road this Sunday in a message from Pastor Joe, as we continue to celebrate the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. We’ll sing hymns of the Easter season and gather around the Lord’s Table.
We will also celebrate the Confirmation of one of our young people, Teo Sivanich. We, his church family, will join his parents, Dimitri and Daina, to witness his affirmation of the Christian faith. Our congratulations to Teo and my thanks to his family and the whole congregation who has supported him along the way.
In Adult Education (10:45am), Pastor Joe will begin a discussion on Teen Mental Illness. (On May 21st, Sandy Mortensen, current therapist and former Bloomington Public Schools counselor will continue that discussion). A great Sunday ahead!
I want to thank all of you for your contributions to the Lenten Service project; joining up with the ministry of Lutheran World Relief and their efforts on behalf of those suffering from war in Ukraine, and those trying to recover from the earthquake disasters in Turkey and Syria. Items for 103 personal care kits, 145 baby care kits were packed and shipped this week along with a financial contribution of $4,062.62. My thanks to the extra efforts of Kris Holm, Inga Borggreve, Lori Thomson, and Daina Sivanich; the Service and Mission Committee; and all of you for this Christ-like effort on behalf of others in great need!
An Emmaus postscript: the Biblical scholar John Dominic Crossan says that there are three different places in the Holy Land which claim to be the Village of Emmaus. Three places! Furthermore, he says that there is no record of any village called “Emmaus” in any ancient source (which does not mean it didn’t exist!). The only place in all of the writings in the New Testament where we hear of the village of Emmaus is in Luke’s Gospel. So Crossan suggests: “Emmaus is nowhere. Emmaus is everywhere.” In other words, Emmaus is wherever you are.
May we all, by the grace of God, have our eyes opened to the presence of the Risen Christ. May He “Easter in you” this day and always.
See you Sunday!
Mark