Pastor’s eNote: Weekly Update

Father, God, to us impart
     The gift unspeakable,
Now in every waiting heart
     Thy glorious Son reveal;
Quicken’d with our living Lord,
     Let us in thy spirit rise,
Rise to all thy life restor’d,
     And thank thee in the skies.

– Charles Wesley, Hymns of the Resurrection, IX

Happy Easter to you all! Christ is risen!

Thanks be to God!

Wesley’s resurrection hymn is filled with the promise of God’s unconditional love which reaches out to every human being. He describes this in the hymn above as “every waiting heart.” Waiting indeed. As I mentioned in the sermon Sunday, sometimes the most powerful act we can take in our life is to wait.

Wait for God’s call.
Wait for God’s grace.
Wait for God’s love.

The choice to wait seems so passive and weak. We have been led to believe that waiting is the practice of doing nothing. We wait for doctor’s appointments. We wait for the next rite of passage. We wait for something else to happen. Waiting seems to lack meaning and purpose.

For the Jesus-follower, waiting is an act of MOVEMENT. Waiting is the posture of readiness. The longer or more intense the waiting, the more ready we are made. We are not waiting for Jesus to arrive like a pizza delivery. By waiting, we are moving ourselves closer to where Jesus is.

Waiting is the act of drawing near. It is a confession-of-sorts that we do not have what it takes. We are lacking; thus, waiting is a confession of that very truth.

Wesley’s resurrection hymn tells us the truth we know from scripture. His words about “let us in thy spirit rise, rise to all thy life restored” is the promise of waiting. (Psalm 40)

Easter is the celebration of the fruit of waiting. May its joy be yours. May God’s love rise within us all.

Grace to You All,

Pastor Craig Brown
(April 22, 2025)