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Archived 04/04: A Message From the Pastor
Rev. Alice Ann Bonham
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From the Pastor's Desk -- As I sit and try to write this the sleet is clicking against my office window. I find it hard to believe that the first day of Spring is only 4 days away. If it weren't for the crocuses scattered across my front lawn (with the help of the squirrels) and the fat robins flitting through my yard, I'd think Spring was a long way off. But the signs are all there that Spring will be here soon. It's easier to believe the promise of Spring with the robins and crocuses than it is with the snow and sleet. I received the following story in a packet of material that gets sent out to Pastors every few months. It seemed very appropriate to share it with you. If I've shared it previously, I apologize for the repetition, not the story itself. It's well worth repeating. May God bless you and keep you, and may you find peace, comfort and joy in celebrating the Resurrection of Christ and in the warmth of Spring. In Christ's love, Pastor Alice Ann
THE PROMISE OF EASTER
A recent weather forecast of
freezing temperatures caused me to panic. While I had not yet
checked on the little patch of daffodils hidden from sight from
our family room window, I had a hunch, with all the warm weather
that they had begun their aboveground activity. I went to check
and discovered my suspicion had turned to fact. Green sprigs
about three inches high were poking out of the ground.
Instinctively, I yelled at them, "Go Back! Go back!"
Quickly realizing my foolishness and checking over my shoulder
to see if my neighbors were watching and, more importantly,
listening, I gathered some of the wood chips used for mulch in a
nearby flower bed and protected the fresh, young sprouts of
spring.by Bishop Sharon A. Brown Christopher. Illinois Area Several days later, the forecast was for near-zero temperatures. Hoping against hope, I returned to the daffodils and erected a little tent over them. When the weather moderated, I removed the tent, and much to my surprise, the green leaves were still standing - even taller then they were at my last look. Yes, some of the stalks were drooping, and some had been burned by the freeze. Yet, new sprigs and even buds were emerging, I was amazed. I also know that more likely than not, those same bulbs will produce daffodils next year - same time, same place. This daffodil narrative is but a tiny demonstration of the power of God we remember and celebrate in the season of Easter. The Spirit of God that flows through all life is ultimately indestructible. It is eternal. Nothing can separate us from it. Every evening on the news, we hear stories of those who have been beaten down in the worst possible ways and then have somehow discovered new life. Even when the stories depict annihilation, there is, considering the biggest-possible picture, a twist of hope in the story. You have your stories of those you know who have stood in the midst of tragedy and come out on the other side, victorious in unpredictable ways. Even when physical death seems to end it all, new beginnings are uncovered. In preparing to write this article, I did a little Internet research about daffodils. I learned bulbs are not seeds but living plants that already have the baby flower growing inside, waiting to bloom. It reminded me of a Natalie Sleeth hymn found in The United Methodist Hymnal (no. 707):
"In the bulb there is a flower;
In the death and resurrection of
Jesus, we are reminded that hardship, distress, persecution,
famine, nakedness, peril or sword do not have the last word.
"Who will separate us from the love of Christ?...Neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor
things to come, not powers, not height, not depth, nor anything
else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love
of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35a, 38b-39
NRSV)in the seed, an apple tree; in cocoons, a hidden promise; butterflies will soon be free! In the cold and snow of winter there's a spring that waits to be, unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see." This is the promise of Easter. Thanks be to God! -The Current (Illinois Great Rivers Conference), March 23, 2002. Adapted by permission. |
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