Its Winter now – But Easter is coming

Okay. So I am being a bit optimistic. As a matter of fact, as I write this, snow is falling outside my window. The weather forecast says temperatures are going to drop again. My daughter reminded me just this weekend that winter actually just started on Dec. 22nd. And all of this makes me want to hop on line and book a vacation in the Caribbean.

But I know this… winter will end and Easter will come.

It is inevitable. We can’t stop it. We don’t want to stop it. We want the gray and white to disappear and the lush green beauty of spring to re-emerge. We want the subzero temperatures to rise again… somewhere in the low 80’s if possible. We want the short days to grow... we want to see the sun at 9:00 at night. We want to feel the sun again – outside, not through the window.

And we will – it is winter now, but Easter is coming.

There is a purpose for winter. Thank God it gets cold enough outside to kill off so many of the germs that seem to get worse every year. I am not sorry at all that mosquitos are out of season. I know that there are some of God’s most beautiful creations that need this winter of hibernation before they can regrow and re-emerge with a deep beauty and colorful surprise.

But, its winter now. And we will make the best of it…

As we walk through the winter together at church, we are talking through ways to build a relationship with God. These are very practical things. Things that people have been doing since… well since God and man have been in a relationship: praying, reading and listening to God, spending time with Him, fasting. These practices have not changed. God has not switched over to Facebook or Twitter. He is still asking us to come to Him in some of the simplest ways. When we do, it changes us. Forever.

As we finish this series in February, we will begin a new look ahead as a church. God has placed us here in this community at this time so that we can reach people. They need to know and experience God as we have. This is the hope of the world. To reconnect to God (or as Paul said in 2 Cor. 5:18-19: to reconcile to God.) This is our ministry. This is our work. Not just to reconcile ourselves – but to help others find this new life.

Changed People Reaching People for Christ

Mid February, we will begin a series that talks about how much we need this life. We will share how much more the people of this world need God. We try to fill our lives with all sorts of stuff. We do it because our lives need something. What most have not realized is that what we need is God in our lives. He brings us to life again. He gives us new life. Without Him, we are really just the walking dead. Shambling through life, going through the motions, but not really alive. We need Him.

As we build toward Easter, we need to be reminded how much the message of God satisfies what we really crave in life. We are going to examine our lives and new ways to share this truth with others. We need to come alive to God. Other people need to come alive. We are going to have another Baptism Day. (Sunday, March 29) New life begins when we allow God to put to death our old life and raise up a new one. We are going to have a great Easter (begin praying now for the impact in people’s lives.) We have a great season of ministry ahead of us at MCC. It’s winter now... but Easter is coming!

I am so looking forward to working and growing with you….

Andy

P.S. Easter is Sunday, April 5th.