Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Christ is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!

Last Sunday we celebrated Easter.  This Sunday we will continue to celebrate Easter.  Why?  We continue to celebrate because the resurrection of Christ is so powerful that it’s impossible to limit the celebration of this Good News to one Sunday.  Many Christian churches observe Eastertide, the Season after Easter, which is a fifty-day period from Easter to Pentecost.  The theme of this season is joy.  We celebrate that God has defeated the powers of sin and death through Jesus’ resurrection.

This Easter Season we will be focusing on one of my favorite passages of Scripture.  It’s found in the 24^th chapter of Luke, Jesus’ encounter with two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus.  I’ll share more on Sunday why this is a favorite passage, but in short, it’s because I have experienced this passage in my own life, where amid sharing a meal, reading God’s Word, or conversing with friends, God surprises me with God’s presence.  I wonder if you have ever had such moments in your life.

It’s been said that the Emmaus story in Luke 24 is so full of wonderful material for theological reflection, preaching and discussion that it’s every preacher’s temptation to deal with too much at one time.  This Sunday we’ll dip our toes into the water of the Emmaus story.  Then on a couple of future Sundays, we’ll stay with the passage and focus in on different themes and teachings in the story.

See you on Sunday,

Pastor David

p.s. This Sunday we will have a “mission moment” before singing the doxology.  I invite you to prayerfully consider what God may be calling you to give to this offering.  If you want to learn more about the offering, you can read this guide, which highlights the many ways our America for Christ offering brings transformation by bringing God’s love and light to the hearts of people everywhere.