Happy Spring! What a joy it is to see the first signs of the greening of the earth! And just in time for Holy Week. We’ve come through the 40 days of Lenten preparation. Together we lit candles, whispered prayers, encountered Jesus in the stories of Gospel of John, and experienced the transformative power of the Good News. In mid-March we gathered for Soup and Conversation about walking the walk of welcome. Then on March 22nd we had another gathering to discuss “Falling Upward” by Richard Rohr. Thank you to everyone who participated.

At the beginning of April we will journey together through Holy Week, from Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, to the meal of love shared in an upper room on Maundy Thursday, to the heartbreak of Good Friday and – finally – the glory of the resurrection. As we enter this holy season, let us reflect on how each part of the story of Holy Week speaks to our own lives. How do we walk with Jesus into the city? How do we participate in the breaking of the bread and sharing of the cup? How do we confront the darkness of the cross? And, most importantly, how do we live into the promise of resurrection?

In addition to our services at FPC here are three additional ecumenical opportunities this Holy Week:

• Good Friday Ecumenical Stations of the Cross, Friday, April 3rd 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. 1.5 mile prayerful walk begins at The Fisherman’s Memorial in Gloucester.
• Good Friday Seven Last Words of Christ, online 3pm, led by UCC Council of Conference Ministers
• Easter Ecumenical Sunrise Service at Singing Beach, 6:18am

As we move into the season of Eastertide we will celebrate Care of Creation Sunday on April 19th, and partner with the Manchester Essex Conservation Trust for an all- ages trail cleanup service project. We will also kick off a sermon series on Paul’s Letter to the Romans, a profound statement of Paul’s theology addressed to the early church struggling to be faithful in the seat of empire.

As the chill of winter gives way to the warmth of spring, may we find reminders everywhere of God’s enduring promise of renewal and new life. Budding trees, blooming flowers, and longer days all proclaim a quiet but powerful truth: resurrection is woven into the fabric of creation. As we journey together through this season, let us be Easter people – carrying light into places of darkness, and
love into places of need.

Blessings,
Rev. Katherine