Sunday is THE day! It is the day that changed everything. It is impossible to celebrate too much! We are celebrating the day that God won our freedom from death and the grave. There is no day bigger or more significant. We are preparing a grand celebration for this universe-changing news. We hope and pray that each of us will have a fresh encounter with the wonder of Easter.
As we move through Holy Week, I invite you to join me in praying for those who will come. Also, pray for those who might be thinking of staying home. Pray for the staff as we prepare. Pray for those who don’t yet know the story of salvation. Whether here or somewhere else, pray they will be in church and encounter the power of the resurrection.
The second thing you can do is invite somebody to join us. Many people in our neighborhoods, offices, and social circles will be thinking about attending somewhere this Sunday. This makes it the perfect time for us to offer an invitation to Vineville. With butterflies, balloons, great music, and the good news of Easter, it promises to be an amazing day! Nothing makes a celebration better than to make it bigger. Let’s pack the house!
Sunday we will celebrate the story of the resurrection, but to have a resurrection there must be a death. If we do not journey through the week with Jesus, then the story is flat, the celebration feels phony, and grace is cheap. As part of your preparation for Sunday, be in worship Thursday night and Friday at noon. At 7:00 p.m., on Thursday, the Chancel Choir will tell the story of what we now call Maundy Thursday. With a chamber orchestra, narration, music, and communion, we remember the events of Holy Week. Then, on Friday we will gather at noon for a thirty-minute service to remember how far God’s love went for our redemption. Grace will bring the homily. Sunday is sweeter and much more meaningful to those who walk the journey of Thursday and Friday.
Saturday we will have the annual Egg Hunt and Easter Extravaganza at the Liipfert’s. We will gather at 3:00 pm. Kids don’t forget to bring your Easter basket!
Sunday will be a great day. You don’t want to miss it! I hope you will be in your place. Since we are expecting a crowd, let’s be extra careful to welcome everybody and invite them back. Do your part to confirm our reputation as the friendliest church in town. After each service, we will adjourn to the Great Lawn to release some butterflies and sing "I’ll Fly Away."
Part of the preparation can’t be done until Sunday morning. One thing that has to be done then is to blow up helium balloons. We would love to have help! On the first Easter, it was the early crew who discovered the miracle of Easter. Will you join us at 7:15 a.m.? There will be good coffee and doughnuts! With help, we can be done in thirty to forty minutes. And don't forget a flower! We are all invited to bring cut flowers or branches of blooming plants from our yards. We will use these to decorate our cross.
Peace,