This Week from Mitch

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am looking forward to participating in the next few days with you all: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday. These are the most important days of our Church year. Walking through Holy Week and Easter with you all is such a blessing. If you have never participated in a Holy Week service, I encourage you to come. Each service is a unique experience that expresses both our faith and love.

This year I find myself thinking of our shared past and shared experience of Easter. Five years ago we pivoted and live-streamed Easter from All Saint's Hall, as it had Wi-Fi and the church did not. Four years ago, with better Wi-Fi, we streamed our Holy Week Services from the church. We moved from Facebook Live to YouTube. I will never forget going home and reading the "Happy Easter" Comments in the live stream chat. Three years ago we celebrated Easter in a tent with socially-distanced services. Just two years ago we returned to inside in-person services. It is crazy to think about it now. St. Martin's has been fortunate. While we still face ramifications from COVID-19, those ramifications are not insurmountable.

The reason why we have been able to navigate all this is because of you. It was you who came early and set up heaters and solo stoves so people could be warm outside. It was you who learned to set up speakers, keyboards, and microphones. It was you who adapted time and time again. For all of you, I give thanks.

For our second year, we are back completely in the church and for this I also give thanks. If last year was a homecoming, then this year I pray that Easter is a sending. Renewed by God's love, I pray that this Easter might inspire you to be of service. Where can you volunteer, who can use your help, and what can you do to share Christ's love? At Easter, we celebrate the gift of Christ's resurrection and our redemption. This is not a gift meant to be kept for ourselves, but a gift that is meant to be given away again, and again, and again.

In Christ,

Mitch