It was an Easter to remember!

From the Gospel of St. Matthew:

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Matthew 28:1-11

Good News has come to us. Good News that cannot be contained and needs to be shared. Yet how do you share it, when we’ve all be asked to stay home? Well, here at First Lutheran we got creative. Rather than gathering in our own pews, or staying home on and enjoying the comfort of our own couches, we gathered for a parking lot worship service.

Together, three congregations, First Lutheran, First Christian, and Faith United Methodist shared the Good News of our Salvation that Christ is Alive! Pastor Doug DeVos (First Christian) preached about the great “ta da” moment as Jesus appeared before Mary and the disciples. In that moment fear was shattered and hope was born. In the midst of the uncertainties of our world today, that same “ta da” moment is able to shatter our own fears and bring us everlasting Joy.

Filled with joy, we gathered around the Table of Communion with blessings shared by Pastor Marilyn Coney (Faith United Methodist) and Pastor Bailey (First Lutheran). Individuals either brought their own elements or received a presealed communion cup, which included a wafer and grape juice.

The highlight of the day . . . horns honking. As we greeted each other, as we shared the peace, and as we extended many thanks, horns would honk. We may have been separated by windows, government mandates, and arrived from various congregations, but in our worship together we were gathered as one people, a people of God, celebrating the hope that only Christ can bring! While the horns honked here in our own parking lot, somewhere out in the distance, several blocks away, was one horn that would always join in. It was a great reminder that the Good News of the Resurrection is far reaching and continues to be shared today.