Dearest Friends in Christ,

How we have longed for spring this year, and as I sit to write this article, there is more snow falling!  The winter has been hard and has felt long, almost like a Lenten journey that began early and stretched on and on, seemingly without end.  But as Lent ends in the glory and joy of Easter, so spring will surely arrive, not merely on the 
calendar, but also in the evidence of God’s world that surrounds us.  The beauty and promise of new life revealed in the budding trees, fresh green shoots of early flowers, and warm breezes fills us with hope and energy.  New life, with all its hidden potential just waiting to be discovered, beckons and we are eager to respond.

As Christians, we are firmly grounded in the new life revealed to us in the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus.  Although Lent leads us to the cross, experience informs us that the cross is not the end, but merely the beginning.  The empty tomb has birthed new promise, new hope and new life in the risen Christ, and we 
rejoice at the miracle of resurrection.  There is a refreshing breeze blowing – the Holy Spirit working in us and through us, reminding us of what it means to be disciples and motivating us to continue Christ’s model of serving others in this world.  What a place of blessing!

This is the Good News – an ancient story, and yet a story that never grows old.  It is a tale of courage and faithfulness, of truth and struggle, and of suffering and 
survival.  It is our story and it begs to be shared, as all good stories do.  So let us share the Good News this spring, for surely there are hearts waiting to hear the “old, old story that [we] have loved so long.”

Blessings,

Pastor Gail