God’s Care For Us

Greetings in the name of the risen Lord!

In the season of Easter, we celebrate not gift giving or the commercial side of hope. Instead, we rejoice that nothing in life, death, Hades, or the grave can limit God's care for us. An unknown author wrote, "Easter is not a time for groping through dusty, musty tomes or tombs to disprove spontaneous generation or even to prove life eternal. It is a day to fan the ashes of dead hope, a day to banish doubts and seek the slopes where the sun is rising, to revel in the faith which transports us out of ourselves and the dead past into the vast and inviting unknown."

These words remind us that the foundation of our faith is resurrection hope. This type of hope is as accessible today as two thousand years ago when the disciples discovered the empty tomb. How we apply this truth to our lives determines whether our hope is sustained through the ebbs and flows of life or whether it is diminished over time. This is a Holy Week question, what do we believe?

Many congregations will sing the hymn "Because He Lives” on Sunday. It is one of my favorite Easter hymns. The song is sung in defiance of trouble, war, and days when the way is unclear. The song is a testament to those who have trusted God with their hearts' longings and deepest desires. In the final weeks of Jesus' earthly ministry, he assured his disciples, particularly Mary and Martha, that “All things are possible for one who believes!” May God increase our faith granting us grace to hope.

St. Augustine said, "Jesus departed from our sight that we might return to our heart, and there find Him. For He departed, and behold, He is here." 

I pray that we all will experience Christ in new and needed ways this Easter. As we meet at table and in conversations along the way, may our hearts burn within. For Christ has risen! He has risen indeed!

Rev. Dr. SanDawna Gaulman Ashley
Transitional Synod Leader