spring header new copy

 
April  2017
In This Issue
Finding a Seat for Easter
"Even If He Doesn't" Faith
Easter Recipe: Resurrection Rolls
Stuck in the Silence of Saturday
by Leigh Sain

"
We have to go move the chairs. It's Easter - the holiday of moving chairs . . . and talking about Jesus," my youngest explains to his friend as I herd my kids into the car.

"What?" I ask, thinking that there are a thousand other ways to talk about the highest holy day on the church calendar. Moving chairs?

"Yeah, mom," he answers grinning. "Jesus comes back to life; so we have to go move all the chairs!"

Well, I can't really argue with him.

You see, our little suburban church is pretty full on any given Sunday. But on Easter? It is packed. And that means we need extra seats. So he's right. We move the chairs - all of the chairs in the whole church go into the gym for Easter Sunday service.

My kids know the drill. They have spent years listening to all of the church dads give directions, pass out donuts, and insist on perfectly lined up rows. They are expert "chair- setter- uppers." And so yes, Easter is the holiday where we move all the chairs.

But, before you begin picturing how holy and helpful we are....


"Even If He Doesn't" Faith 
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied, "King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it. But even if he does not, we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
                                                                               - Daniel 3:16-18

Courage

Who comes to mind when you hear that word? Maybe the soldier who volunteers for another tour in the Middle East. Or the middle-schooler who says "no" to drugs. The politician who boldly announces that the emperor has no clothes on.

Daniel's friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego offer a striking example of courage. They knew the king's command and the Lord's command. They knew that the consequences of obeying God would be the consequences of disobeying the king. Yet the three stood before Nebuchadnezzar, confident in their God.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not want to perish in the furnace, and they knew God could deliver them from the fire. But they also understood that God is God. So with "even if he doesn't" faith, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego told Nebuchadnezzar they would not worship the gods of Babylon, or its king.

God will give you the courage you need in your "Even if He Doesn't" Moments.

My kids love to cook and bake with me. Each year we look forward to baking Resurrection Rolls for Easter! It's a creative way to tell the story of Jesus's burial and resurrection. Here's the recipe and the story to tell while assembling the rolls. Enjoy and have fun celebrating the truth that our Savior is risen!

 
Saturday held the aftermath of Jesus' death the night before. Friday had been loud with chaos and trauma, but Saturday? Saturday was quiet. Unanswered questions must have hung in the air like a fog:
Now what? What do we do? How do we move on? Where is God?

by Mallory Redmond

I was 25 years old when my hearing problem was named with a diagnosis. In a number of months, I had gone from believing the TV's maximum volume was hardly above a whisper to having my life defined by words like Otosclerosis, Tinnitus, and Stapedectomy.

Now, eight years later, I still stumble through the pronunciation of those words, even though I've read them on my own medical reports and discussed them ad nauseam with various doctors and surgeons.

The first surgery to improve my hearing was done on my right ear in 2010. It was successful to the point of tears - I literally cried when I realized I could talk on the phone using my right ear or hear a slight whisper from someone standing to my right. Six years later that I had that same surgery performed on my left ear and again I wept, realizing my hearing had been restored and all those syllables I couldn't pronounce that had once def ined my days were now left powerless in the wake of my healing.

Quick Links


Join Our Mailing List