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Dear Covenant Friends,
What a glorious Easter we shared together this year at Covenant! The music, the flowers, the children, and the joy of resurrection witnessed to the presence of the Holy Spirit among us. Here’s the link if you couldn’t join us in person. In the sermon, I invited you to find a sunrise somewhere and stand in the presence of God. That’s been challenging with so many cloudy days! Fortunately, my friend Nancy sent us one from Florida which I am passing on to you, just in case.
One of my favorite moments was the choir’s procession with the flowered cross. It reminded me of a tradition at my home church- First United Methodist in Cuyahoga Falls. Throughout Lent, a rough wooden cross stands in the church yard. On Easter Sunday, each person coming to worship brings a flower to place somewhere on the cross. When everyone exits the church, they see the cross transformed with flowers- usually a lot of daffodils, my favorite.
The pastor of my youth, The Rev. Dr. Forrest Waller, died this year on Easter Sunday. His son was one of my best friends in high school and the funniest person I knew. His sense of humor, along with his dad’s gift of public speaking and passion for the common good, has served him well in his vocation as a high school principal and father. He spoke about his dad at the memorial service winsomely and respectfully. Listening, I realized how much of my own ministry patterns reflect my childhood pastor’s style and substance. This gentle man influenced my life and eventual calling profoundly, even when I didn’t realize it at the time, even when his son and I were the instigators of church camp shenanigans.
It's humbling to realize how much we may be influencing the lives of young people around us without even knowing it. Even more reason to practice gentleness, kindness and patience, with a generous dose of humor. Happy Easter everyone!
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