SOME AFTER-EASTER REFLECTIONS

Year after year, I really like the first Sunday after Easter and I do so for a number of reasons:

(1) By this time, the week between Palm Sunday Easter and its many, many services are in my rear view mirror, so to speak.  My previous anxiety of whether or not everything would work as I had hoped it would has passed.  

This year, all of our services were beautiful collaborations between many gifted and dedicated people:

• the members of our three choirs (adult, bells, 
• children), our volunteer and staff musicians (organist and worship team, plus outside trumpet players),
•       all who contributed to the magnificent sanctuary decor (envisioning it, purchasing supplies, fabricating and installing props).  
•       our staff who designed our various publications (worship screens, postcard, newspaper ad, bulletins, and eNewsletter),
•       our deacons, lectors, Media Shout and sound operators, ushers, greeters, and offering counters at all of or services,
•       all who donated flowers (thank you to all who purchased altar flowers and Easter lilies!),
•       all volunteers who helped spruce up our facility during our work-day, and, lastly,

  

I am confident that our collective service touched lives in many ways, both big and small.  Together, we helped touch all who worshipped at Bethel this Holy Week and Easter with the message of God’s salvation and new life in Christ.  One never knows who is present in worship and what they may have gone trough recently.  You have been Christ to them. Thank you!

(2) By this time, I have had the opportunity to take a couple of days off to rest and relax. This year, our immediate family was strangely spread out over three different places: Kumar needed to stay at home to attend to matters relating to our upcoming move to India, Naomi (who will be turning 16 years old on April 4) has been and still is visiting with her godmother in Dallas and experiencing life at a divinity school and attending the graduate classes that my good friend Susanne is teaching (Perkins School of Theology, part of Southern Methodist University), while Anna and I were spending 2 restful days on the coast, south of Pescadero, relaxing, doing some crafts, and visiting the northern sea elephants at Año Nuevo Reserve. 

(3) My third reason for enjoying this Second Sunday of Easter is that it is still part of our Easter celebration.  We still have the sanctuary decked out in white, still get to sing Easter hymns and songs, still get resurrection readings as our lessons … but we do so surrounded by our regular family of faith.  While it is nice to see pews filled on Easter (and Christmas), it is even nicer to see churches filled with people who are part of our community year-round, with people looking for a new church home, or with people who visit, because they may be visiting the Bay Area and attending worship, because that’s simply what they do on Sundays.  From this pastor’s perspective, Easter feels a bit strange, since I am designing and leading worship services for people who judge worship by what they were familiar with some 20-30 years ago.  If they don’t find what church was then, they often complain on how church has changed and just isn’t the same anymore!!! OK, I got my judgmental two cents of my chest.  I hope you don’t mind.  J

(4) Finally, I am glad that I got to be part of yet another meaninful celebration this Holy Week – when I officiated at the wedding of Rachel (Stolan) and Chris Kasinski last Saturday at Léal Vinyeards in Hollister. What a joy to help them get hitched so soon before I leave Bethel! I wish them joy and happiness in their new life together.  It seems very fitting to me that they picked this date to begin their new life together, given that the church celebrates the new life we have in Jesus Christ.  May Christ be present in the way they live together!

Wishing you a blessed first weekend in May and second Sunday of Easter!