MESSAGE FROM THE REV. MICHAEL S. WHITE
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Since I announced that I will retire from Christ Church this summer, I have been surprised (and not surprised) by the strong emotions I have experienced. Having lived through this last week and a half, I find myself longing for the “normalcy” of Holy Week and Easter. I am excited to walk with you through the these holy days as we take the path that fellow pilgrims have walked for generations.
On Easter morning, March 31, we will join Christians from age to age and around the world in celebration of the new life found in Christ’s resurrection. However, to enhance our experience of this sacred mystery, the Church first gives us Holy Week. Each year, we gather as pilgrims to re-enter the journey from Palm Sunday through Easter morning. By re-living the account of Jesus' last days, we allow his story to become our story. As we walk with Jesus through the events of Holy Week, we embrace the power of resurrection life—the same life given to us in our own baptism into Christ's life, death, and resurrection.
When we experience the fullness of Holy Week, we journey through suffering, death, and new beginnings. The liturgical flow of this season can equip us for the cycle of loss, struggle, and new life. When we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death in our own lives, we can rely on our memories of Holy Week, and we can do this anytime of year. We can recall from Holy Week, that even in times of great struggle, God is with us and resurrection life in near.
I encourage all of us to be present as we encounter Christ anew this Sunday, Palm Sunday: The Sunday of the Passion. We will then journey through Maundy Thursday’s mandate to love one another and Good Friday’s gift of finding life in the midst of suffering. We will move from darkness into light at Saturday’s Easter Vigil. Having experienced these services makes the grand celebration of Easter Day all the more lifegiving.
As we journey together through this sacred experience of renewal, my prayer is that our souls will be truly revived and burst forth into song, Welcome, happy morning!
May the peace of the risen Christ be always with you,
Michael
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