Christ is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
And as Christ has risen so has the prospect of Spring. The flowers are blooming, the grass has greened, and shoots of various kinds have emerged from the soil. The waters of the rainy season have truly “watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout…” (Isaiah 55)
Of course, as the earth sprouts so will follow a wealth of fruits, vegetables and grains. We, in this area, are blessed to be surrounded by the literal fruits from the earth, and in the coming weeks and months as the growing season progresses in earnest, our fields and farmer’s markets will be filled with a blessing of produce.
We, as the Body of Christ, are invited to rejoice in this blessing as we rejoice in all the blessings of God’s creation. We are also called to be mindful of the ways in which we are truly blessed, and we are further called to be additionally mindful of those who are not as blessed as we. So then, as we rejoice in the verdant growth around us, we are just the same called to remember those who do not have such abundance, and those for whom the earth is barren and unyielding.
To that end the ELCA is constantly working to relieve the burden of hunger for all those who suffer it, and specifically as we, in this congregation, and people in congregations across the country prepare for the Youth Gathering this summer the ELCA has called us all to be aware of this effort. ELCA World Hunger is working on a Youth-led drive called the Global Farm Challenge, supporting that challenge will be a significant part of Youth Gathering this summer, and is something that we can all participate it even now. https://www.elca.org/globalfarmchallenge
In this and in so many other ways we are given the opportunity to express our mindfulness and our gratitude for our own blessings. I encourage you to explore the Global Farm Challenge and the ways in which it directs our love for neighbor and our call to, as we have promised in our baptismal covenant, “Care for others and the world God made…” and to join the youth of this congregation, as they continue to explore how they can be responsive to the ways that God is calling them as they prepare for the excitement of the Youth Gathering.
PEACE
Pastor Dan
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