Beloved People of God,
This month, during the third week of April, our Lenten observance will come to an end. We will gather with Christians around the world to celebrate the Three Days of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
On Maundy Thursday, April 17, you are invited to share a wonderful meal together beginning at 5:30 p.m. Following the meal, we will gather in the Sanctuary at 7 p.m. and focus on Christ’s commandment to give and receive love in humble service. We will hear Jesus’ command to share the sacred meal and celebrate with our First Communicants as they receive their first communion.
Life and death stand side by side as we enter Good Friday. At noon we will gather in Umbrella Alley with the ecumenical church group in Louisville and walk the stations of the cross. We will take part in the great tradition of the Tenebrae beginning at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary at the Belden Campus. We will hear the words of Jesus and the promise that what was meant as a symbol of fear and death has been transformed into the gift of life by the one who was lifted upon the cross.
On Easter Sunday, we will gather and hear the shouts, “Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen, indeed!” Easter is known as the “first day.” It is the first day of the week. It is also the first day of the new creation, sometimes called the “eighth day” of the week, for on it Christ restored the image of God in us and in so doing, also brought restoration and renewal to all creation. On Easter we will hear the good news that we have been set free from the bonds of death, we are forgiven, and we are free to live resurrected lives filled with hope and enthusiasm!
St. Stephen is a community of people who have realized the gift of resurrection and a people who are filled with hope and enthusiasm. I have been a witness to this hope and enthusiasm for nearly 25 years. I’ve witnessed the power of the resurrection lived out in so many ways. I’ve witnessed the resurrected life as I baptized my son, Alex, and daughter, Sarah. I witnessed the resurrected life as I presided over 375 baptisms, performed over 180 weddings, and proclaimed the Word of hope at over 270 funerals. I witnessed the resurrection life through sharing communion with so many including our three children, who received their First Communion and Confirmation. I experienced the resurrection life when we created the Gathering Worship Service and transformed the original sanctuary into The Holy Grounds Café. And again, when Trinity Lutheran Church and Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church were welcomed into our community of faith. I’ve witnessed the resurrection life through the development of so many ministries including our amazing Breakfast with Santa outreach and our Vacation Bible School. This resurrected life was at work throughout our major building project that was completed in 2013. This created a fantastic Gathering area, refurbishing our beautiful Sanctuary, turning it 180 degrees, building a new pipe organ, new bathrooms, and meeting rooms. We created an environment where people want to come together and experience the love of Christ. I witnessed the resurrected life as we celebrated our congregation’s 50th and the Reformation’s 500th Anniversary and toured the Reformation Lands in Germany and Austria. I believe it was the power of the resurrection that led us to build our incredible pavilion. The entire community can witness the life of resurrection through the Crosses of Calvary sculpture as its lights glow for the world to see. Of course, I experienced the resurrected life the most in the relationships and love I have experienced in this church. This is truly a church who lives the promise and the resurrection. This is a church where love lives!
I can’t wait to see and hear how the resurrection life continues to lead St. Stephen in the future.
See You Sunday,
Pastor Bruce
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