Never Too Early....

Hello Emmanuel,

After the Sunday we had yesterday, there is a lot I could write about:  cell phones, broken projectors (and frustrated associates who are happy-go-lucky), choirs (who are evidently happy-go-lucky), smiling visitors, a busy Sunday School, on and on.....

But today I proclaim that it is never too early to prepare for a Resurrection......

I know, I know, it isn't even Lent yet.  We haven't even got to one of my favorite Sundays of the year (Transfiguration Sunday coming up!).  Ash Wednesday is still a week and a half away which kicks off 7 weeks of being reminded why we need God.  Even though Easter is early this year, it's still in April and we are barely into February.  So what's the deal?

The deal is the Resurrection.  We have to always be ready for it.  Emmanuel will be ready for it!  Why?  Because without the Resurrection, the Church has no purpose.  We don't worship a dead Jesus.  So new life isn't something you pass over lightly.  Emmanuel certainly doesn't.  Let's consider how we are going to be ready for the Resurrection this year:

1.  A new, Mission-oriented Men's group:  Over the past several weeks, Pastor Shawn and I have identifiied interest in a new men's group.  While this group will take on the components of some of our other Small Groups, this group will have a special focus on mission work.  Resurrection is experienced when you find ways to act out of your faith and pass on unconditional love and new hope to others. If you are interested in trying out this group, email Pastor Shawn (Shawn.Young@emmanuel-umc.com).  There are already 5 men interested.  Pastor Shawn is getting all giddy.

2.  Retreats.  Sometimes expressing your faith can be as much routine as the rest of your life.  A special focus on retreats can help us break out of the mundane.  There will be a women's retreat on March 2nd at the church.  Kim Royer and Regina Bowman are helping to lead this time together.  Resurrection can be experienced when you strengthen relationships with other people of the faith.

3.  The United Methodist Women are getting ready to take orders for hand-made, chocolate Easter Eggs.  This is a HUGE fund-raiser for the women and one that has lasting effects throughout the year.  The thousands of dollars they will raise will go to missions and helping others experience hope through the hands and feet of Christ.  Oh.. and did I mention that these eggs are awesome?  I encourage you to help missions happen at Emmanuel.  One way to do this is to help the women get orders for these eggs.  Take order forms to your families and your work (you can get more information this coming Sunday which is the start date to put in orders).  They have become rather popular over the decades, not just because they are good, but because the ministry this allows the UMW to do is far beyond what they would be able to accomplish otherwise.  Many people experience Resurrection because the women relay the hope in Christ through missions.

4.  10,000 plastic, candy-filled Easter eggs.   No, Andrea DeRose is not going to fill them on her own.  However, we still need them for the Community Easter Egg hunt to be March 30th at the Batavia Township Park.  So here is the plan:  we are going to ask you to help.  Come March, we will make available bags of empty plastic eggs for you to take home and fill (about 100 per bag?).  That means we will need about 100 bags of plastic eggs filled by the last week of March.  This event continues to gain energy and popularity in the community.  Help us find ways to invite others to come worship with us.  We can help others experience Resurrection.

There will be more ways we will get ready for the Resurrection.  The Hospitality team, for example, is already talking about how to make parking more available and how to go about Easter breakfast.  However, do you realize that we actually celebrate the Resurrection every Sunday?  We don't worship a dead Jesus.   Even as we stare the Lenten season in the face, we know how the story ends.  It is because we are post-Easter people that we can prepare every week as though it is Easter.  Christ is alive!

and God is Good,
Pastor Joe