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President's Report - April

Pastor's Message - April

By: Pastor Marty Lettow
Posted: Monday, April 5, 2004

What was the best birthday gift you ever received? Do you remember what it was? Maybe it was a toy. Maybe it was a car. Maybe it was a trip. Whatever it was, the best gifts are the ones that we don't predict. I am always amused when someone asks me what I want for my birthday, or for Christmas. Invariably those gifts that I ask for, are the first ones to be forgotten. We remember the gifts that we didn't ask for, the one's that make us overjoyed with excitement.

What did you do when you opened your best present ever? Did you scream? Were you excited? Did you give hugs? It is usually a great moment to share when someone is thought of in gift giving. The sentiment of thoughtfulness is usually responded to by much joy and celebration. You know the old saying, "tis better to give than to receive."

The overwhelming sense of joy is where the phrase "alleluia" comes into the church vocabulary. It is a response word, a way to exclaim how we feel when we are touched with surprise and awe, at how we cannot believe the beauty and value of the gift we have just received. In Lent we practice an absence from saying or singing the word "alleluia" so that we can somehow appreciate it more when we say it at Easter. At least that is the way it is supposed to work. I am amazed sometimes at how quiet or constrained our alleluia's can be. But maybe that's because we aren't amazed at the gift of Easter? Were you surprised by the empty tomb?

It can be hard to let ourselves be in wonder about the resurrection, especially since we already know how the story ends. But we need to be aware that the old, old story that never changes, is alive and well in the 21st century. Many people in our midst have had a tough Lent. We have witnessed many people going to the cross with Jesus, who are now experiencing the new life of the resurrection. That's right, Jesus' story really being made into our own. The promise of God through Jesus Christ is that we are to follow in Jesus' steps, and we will receive the same glory. Surprise and a chorus of Alleluia's follow, as we cannot contain the awe of God's giving. And we join Jesus' in bearing the scars of healing as life begins anew. How great it is to be part of a community of faith that lives with the gift of the passion story. The grace of the cross, and the surprise of the resurrection are ours for the living. We are reminded through holy week of the magnificent gift of love that God has given to each of us through the Christ. We are touched by the grace of the last supper, the evil of the cross, and the holiness of Jesus being raised from the dead through the gift of this story. Yes, it is wonderful to be part of a community that celebrates and proclaims the gifts of God.

Don't forget to give this gift away. This is the lesson of our life together with Christ. Tell others about Christ's story, even tell them about your story. Many people know what is on their wish list. Many people don't even know to ask for the grace that we celebrate at Easter. Give the story away, it will change another person's life, as well as your own.

Calvary Lutheran Church, Rio Linda