Dear friends in faith,

     Greetings in the name of Jesus our risen Lord!
     What a wonderful time of year.  We've walked through the valley of Lent.  We've rejoiced at the grandeur of Easter.  And now we continue that rejoicing.
     Lent going into Easter is quite a bit like Advent going into Christmas.  It's the time of preparation.  It's the chance to ready our hearts and our homes for the wonder that is to come. It's the introspection before the celebration.
     But doesn't Christmas feel "over" on December 25th?  Once the meal is finished and the gifts are unwrapped, we have that inclination to "pack it up" and "put it away". The merchandising during Advent tires us out to the point that we can't continue the celebration. 
     Has Easter become the same?  If we celebrate Easter for rabbits and candy and eggs, then the answer is yes.  If we only see Easter as a pleasant secular holiday, or as simply a welcoming of Spring, then how could we possibly continue to celebrate?
     The truth is, Easter is a "forever holiday".  Easter means so much more than the childish significance our society gives to it.  Easter continues.  Easter doesn't end.
     When the candy is all gone and we've eaten more eggs than we ever should have, Jesus' work on the cross still holds true.  Even when the "Christmas spirit" wanes in early winter, the truth of the resurrection lives on.  We are Easter people.  We live day by day with the reality of eternal life!
     As we transition into spring and soon into summer, don't forget about the depth of Easter.  Don't forget about the Last Supper.  Or the crucifixion.  Jesus walked through those valleys for you, and for me.  And don't forget about the resurrection:  God's power displayed for all of humanity to see and believe.
     The joy of Easter will continue - if you let it.  God will keep that sense of awe and reverence in your heart as long as you desire to walk with Him.  Let's have our prayer be an echo of the old hymn:
     Jesus keep me near the cross;
     there a precious fountain, free to all, a healing stream,
     flows from Calvary's mountain.
     In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
     till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.

     Wishing you a blessed Eastertide,

     Pastor Jon West