What a glorious Easter service we had at church on Easter! So much music! Choir, bell choir, brass, and tympani, and our fantastic organist, Jacob Dengler! A little taste of heaven! The youth group, earning funds to attend the National Youth Gathering in Minneapolis this summer, served a giant Easter breakfast for the congregation. We saw many members who only make it to church a couple times a year and what a joy it was to see them worshiping with us again! I got to attend worship with my husband, Bill, son David’s family and our “extended family” of Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church. (Son, John, is filming Portland and wasn’t able to come home).

We had Easter dinner at our house. Bill and I, David, Sarah, Adelaide, Jackson, and Charlotte. Joining us were John, Joan and Erin Busch, Camp Directors of our Lutheran Camp in Oklahoma, Camp Lutherhoma and our dear friends, Dave and Teresa Nightingale just returned from Hawaii. Conversation around the table was pretty dynamic! A wonderful day with the concluding remarks being “your family has been such a blessing in our lives” coming to and from each family around the circle.

One of the books I frequently pick up is The Spirituality of the Cross by Gene Edward Veith, Jr. I am reminded and give thanks for people like we spent the day with today in his chapter titled, “The Spirituality of Everyday Life”. He talks about “Luther’s common order of Christian love. This is the realm of the Good Samaritan, of friendship, of the everyday interactions of the people whom God has brought into your life and whom God calls you to love and to serve”.

I pray you had people to spend Easter with that you love and encourage. To be told you are a blessing to someone is huge! I hope you will be bold to tell people when they are a blessing to you. As women in LWML we encourage each other in the spirituality of our everyday lives through the Word of God, the service to others, and the expression of our joy in the Resurrected Christ!

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Patti

The Spirituality of the Cross, Gene Edward Veith, Jr., Concordia Publishing House.