Dear Siblings in Christ,

Recently, we have enjoyed some glorious sunshine and warm weather. Though I don’t much mind clouds, cold or rain, I am nonetheless delighted! It turns out I had forgotten about the power of changing seasons to inspire new possibilities and hope. Every turning brings its own farewells and greetings, but none perhaps more striking than Winter giving way to Spring.

Now, there are buds on nearly every tree, blossoms and blooms abound, and bulbs pop up with their thick green sheaths and shocks of purple, yellow, and white (and more colors to come)! I’ve been thinking about those bulbs—their life cradled by the ground during winter now past. But if they stay in their dark refuge when warmth and light beckon, the dirt becomes a tomb—no more a place of safety but of death and decay. Now, the life that was lying dormant is called forth into the light, each to reflect that light in their own unique, fanciful, phantasmagorical way.

As Easter dawns, I pray we can hear the Good News of what is possible now. The life we as Christians celebrate is the most alive of all—no longer subject to death, but springing from beneath the surface and reflecting the light that awakens everyone and everything. This is a transformation like no other, and it bursts forth to grow and spread as a perennial goodness.

“This blessing was not content in its confinement.” Like the blessing, we are called to break free from the shackles of doubt and despair, to embrace the boundless possibilities of renewal. As we breathe the fresh air of the coming morn, we ourselves emerge from the darkness and raise our voices in the blessing. “Risen. Risen. Risen.” This is the proclamation of Easter, the resounding announcement of hope. May this Easter season fill our hearts with renewed faith and stir our souls with rising hope. Together, let us journey forth, guided by the light of the risen Christ.

With you,

The Rev. R. Scott Painter, Rector