Easter is the most significant day on the Christian calendar. It may not evoke the same sentimentality as Christmas; nor is it anticipated each year with the same level of excitement. Perhaps this is, in part, because Easter is so near to Good Friday that, reminded of our own sins, even our amazement of the miracle of the Resurrection feels somewhat tempered by our culpability that necessitated God to send Jesus to die in our place, for us. But it is the day we call Easter Sunday that we are most vividly reminded of the glory, the wisdom, and the love of our God. At Christmas we celebrate the free gift of God giving to us his son; on Good Friday we see the purpose for which that gift was given; but it at Easter we see the Christmas gift blossom into the radiance of the fullness of God’s grace!
Though, no doubt, many are disappointed that, of all weeks, the Church cannot gather this week, let us remember the fact that God has appointed every Sunday to be “Easter”. Every Sunday is ‘The Lord’s Day” – a celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection! For that we can all be thankful
For me, along with the promises of Easter, among that which I am thankful for is… you, the Grace Covenant family.
- I am thankful for the testimonies I hear of how you are connecting with one another, and caring for one another, throughout the week.
- I am thankful for reports I have received of your times of worship together (albeit via Zoom).
- And I am thankful for your faithfulness and generosity. While reports are that between 75% – 90% of churches are already experiencing serious financial challenges, your tithes & offerings, to date, have enabled us to continue to meet our budget needs. More than that, your gifts have also resourced our Deacons to assist those with financial needs. This is a tremendous blessing, as our Deacons are assisting families both within our church and outside of the church, in the broader Historic Triangle community. While the needs from our church families have, so far, been relatively few, we anticipate that more needs will arise should the shut-down be prolonged. But thanks to you, our Deacons are in position to help.
So, on behalf of our Elders and Deacons, I say “Thank You”.
Finally, as in recent weeks, we have prepared a worship outline for your use. We will again embed videos for the songs, message, and Benediction into a digital outline for your use. The digital worship outline will again have a link to a .pdf of the service, making it easy for all those in your “gatherings” to have the tools to participate. The digital outline will be available on Saturday afternoon, April 11; and the videos will be available to view by 8am on Sunday April 12. For those who want to prepare in advance for Sunday, here is the .pdf for Sunday: Grace Covenant Easter Worship.
May we all experience the joy of God’s love and grace and the hope that the Resurrection secured for all who belong to Jesus!
Grace & Peace,
W. Dennis Griffith, Pastor
Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church 