April Meeting Recap

Happy Easter Season!

Hi Connect! How are you?

Our last meeting, Suzanne discussed Easter and other traditions. Easter Sunday was on March 31st, but the season does not end until the evening prayer on the Solemnity of Pentecost on May 19th. Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. The date of Easter is the first Sunday after the full moon following the March Equinox. Pagan traditions celebrated at this time come from the ancient Saxons in Northern Europe. They worshiped the Goddess Oestre at the time of the Spring Equinox. She represents the sunrise, spring-time and fertility, the renewal of life. Colored eggs were offered to her. Another pagan influence is the famous bunny, this also symbolizes fertility.

Easter has one of the highest sales in candy, 2nd to Halloween!

Suzanne also shared with us April 3rd's daily reading, Acts chapter 3, verse 1-10. Luke chapter 24:13-35.

Reflection: "What a glorious time of year this is!!  It is spring time in the northern hemisphere – flowers are peeking their heads through the ground (and snow in some places).  The daylight is longer and even the smell of the air is invigorating.  New life is all around us – inviting us to hopeful.  But even more than the flowers and the bright sunshine, we called to new life because we are Easter people.  We have seen the real hope in our lives, in our very beings.  The readings for today are full of that hope and life.  I’m reminded of the words of Robert Browning: Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, the last of life, for which the first was made.  As we bathe in the light of this weekend and the wonders of Easter, I truly believe the best is yet to be...When the Holy Spirit makes its presence known to us through that burn it is essential that we embrace it and jump and praise God  . . . the best is yet to be." -Nancy Shirley

Thank you Suzanne for sharing!

I'll be sending more information regarding our volunteer service this month.

God Bless,

Reggie

Monthly Scripture Reading-April

Tuesday (April 2): "I have seen the Lord!"
Scripture: John 20:11-18 11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." 14 Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." 16 Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rab-bo'ni!" (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, "Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." 18 Mary Mag'dalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Meditation: Do you recognize the Lord's presence when you listen to his word? How easy it is to miss the Lord when our focus is on ourselves! Mary did not at first recognize the Lord because her focus was on the empty tomb and on her own grief. It took only one word from the Master, when he called her by name, for Mary to recognize him. Mary's message to the disciples, I have seen the Lord, is the very essence of Christianity. It is not enough that a Christian know about the Lord, but that we know him personally. It is not enough to argue about him, but to meet him. In the resurrection we encounter the living Lord who loves us personally and shares his glory with us. The Lord gives us "eyes of faith" to see the truth of his resurrection and victory over sin and death (Ephesians 1:18). The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our hope – the hope that we will see God face to face and share in his everlasting glory and joy. "Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter 1:8-9). Do you recognize the Lord's presence with you, in his word, in the "breaking of the bread", and in his church, the body of Christ?
 "Lord Jesus, may I never fail to recognize your voice nor lose sight of your presence in your life-giving word."

(c) 2013 Don Schwager
 http://www.dailyscripture.net/

April 2nd meeting

Hello Connect!

I hope you had a wonderful time celebrating Easter with your family! The Lord is risen! Alleluia!

We have our monthly potluck meeting tomorrow, April 2nd, at 7 PM in the youth room. Suzanne will lead the topic on Easter.

I hope to see you then!

God Bless!

Reggie