March 30, 2007
March 23, 2007
Pastor's para: 25 March
Easter is almost upon us. Part of our preparation as a church for Easter has included the weekly Practising our Faith resources. I sat in on one of the two Practising our Faith foyer study groups on Wednesday. It was a delight to hear people wrestling with the Scriptures and discussing what they mean for our lives.
As a pastor, I always struggle with Easter. It is the highpoint of the Christian year and one that I believe that all Christians should engage with. Yet it is the last holiday before winter and for those who work (hard), an important time to re-create.
So, this year I am offering an Easter Bach Pack, a short Easter service that can be done by families and groups in a holiday home. It includes things to do and say and hear, and an activity which can be brought back to Opawa in the weeks after Easter. (The service will be similar to that offered here at Opawa.)
While this demands more from us as a pastoral team, we believe it is a concrete way of living out our vision for the year, from Ephesians 4:1-13, with the church as a resource that sends people into the world, rather than sucks them into a building. It will allow us, whether gathered or scattered, to maintain a sense of a shared Easter.
(We are also wondering about offering this on the internet, so that people anywhere in the world could download the resource and use it.)
So, whether away or present, we are asking you to join with us in this high point of the Christian year. If you are going away for Easter, simply order an Easter Bach Pack (Friday or Sunday or both) from the office.