Preparing for Easter

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, 
and to take him at his word; 
just to rest upon his promise, 
and to know, "Thus saith the Lord." 

  --Tis So Sweet to Trust In Jesus 
     by Louisa M. R. Stead, (1883)

Dear Church Family,

It's Holy Week. Like an accountant during tax season or a teacher during open house, this is when everything intensifies at our church. We're creating special worship services, printing more bulletins than usual, preparing additional music, and readying countless plastic eggs for Sunday's big hunt. Meanwhile, the regular challenges of church life continue — broken plumbing, coordinating user groups, and yes, even smoke coming from an outdoor electrical box (which actually happened this week, but rest assured, it's been fixed). All of this combines to create a particularly bustling season for our congregation.

I was thinking about this on my drive home. Truthfully, things feel a bit scattered as we try to wrap everything up in preparation for Sunday, and my brain is moving in a few more directions than usual. But that feeling of being scattered made me wonder if the disciples felt the same way during that final week of Jesus' life.

Think about it. They started with the triumphant entry into Jerusalem we remember on Palm Sunday. Crowds shouting "Hosanna!" and celebrating Jesus' presence. But quickly, that turned to chaos as he cleared the money changers out of the temple and made quite the scene, calling out the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. Jesus then continued to stir the pot and anger the chief priests and high council. They celebrated the Passover together, but Jesus told them that he would be betrayed by one disciple and denied by another. And at the end of the week, their leader had been arrested, tried, and executed, leaving them scared and scattered.

The disciples didn't know that Easter was coming. They didn't know that love would triumph over hate, and that God's power would be displayed through Jesus' resurrection. If they had known, I wonder how differently they might have experienced those chaotic days.

But here's the thing: we know the end of the story. We know that on Sunday morning, Jesus rises from the dead and hope is born. And in this week (as in all weeks), Jesus asks us to trust in him.

So, although I'm "preaching" to myself here, I want to encourage you to trust in Jesus this week. Because regardless of whether you work in the church or not, there is plenty of chaos in each of our lives. Unexpected challenges arise that we don't plan for, and life's surprises continue to unfold beyond our control. But we still know the end of the story. Jesus, risen from the dead, promises to be with us always (Matthew 28:20). The resurrection reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:39).

As my drive home began to wind down, the words of this old hymn came to mind. My hope and prayer are that I will hold them close as the week continues to unfold in preparation for Easter Sunday — no matter how chaotic it might become. Lord remind me:

"'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, and to take him at his word; just to rest upon his promise, and to know, 'Thus saith the Lord.'"

And whether life is unraveling for you this week or holding together nicely, I pray that you will rest upon God's promise and trust in Jesus.

With God's Peace, 
Pastor Karl