Category Archives: Easter

Promise of New Life

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Today is the first day of April.  What does it make you think of?  I mentioned recently that we’ve decided to recognize Midnight’s birthday on April 1.  Yes, there is a bit of twisted in humor in that, but only a bit — a tiny bit.

Lin mentioned “Gotcha Day.”  Now I’m confused.  It was the morning of December 4 of last year and we were expecting the first big storm of the winter.  Sylvia and I had decided to bring the one cat — just a kitten — living in the barn into the house.  We did not expect him to survive alone through the winter.  His life expectancy soared when I carried him into our house.  Midnight started a new life.

When you think of the promise of new life, what do you think of?  Flower buds, like those in yesterday’s post?  How about that young mother-to-be that you saw at the mall.  Her tummy was large and there was a glow on her face.  Soon she would bring a new life into the world.

Consider this:

A couple of weeks ago, I looked out of my office window (above), and saw that the winter snow was melting and green grass was visible.  There was the burning bush just outside the window.  At first glance it appeared to be dead.  But look closer.

Those are buds.  Buds that will soon be green leaves.  They will be thick and dark green all through the summer.  In the fall, they will turn bright red.  Look closer.

It won’t be long before this happens.  But the story doesn’t end there.

As I looked on this scene so full of promise, a bird landed on the bush.  She was tiny and, frankly, she was plain.  It was a female house finch.  Her beak was full of dead grass.  Grass that would line the nest where she will lay the eggs that will bring us the next generation of her kind.  I’m sorry that I couldn’t capture a photo of her.

Today is Maundy Thursday.  Will you observe this day?

Palm Sunday ~ The Triumphal Entry

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John, Chapter 12
12The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
   “Hosanna!”
   “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
   “Blessed is the King of Israel!” 14Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,
 15“Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion;
      see, your king is coming,
      seated on a donkey’s colt.”

Saturday Song ~ New Again

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Wednesday morning, my friend, Paul Decess passed away after an extended illness. His bed had been placed in the room of their small house that faces the lake on which they’ve lived. Plenty of light, fresh air and the sounds of activity on the lake he loved were there for him. He and his wife have lived in that place since his retirement some years ago.

Paul drafting plans for the Ebenezer Center.


By profession, Paul was an engineer. He drew the plans for our church’s community center and was the head trustee as we went through the building project. He had a keen mind and willing hands. So many other things he did, I cannot tell them all. He would cut onions for the annual chili dinner, because they didn’t make him cry. We who are his friends will miss him greatly. Forgive us if we cry.

My song for today is one that I almost posted on the Saturday before Easter. While our life goes on, for Paul all things are new again. He knows no more suffering, and he knows no more pain.


Whatever happens, whatever you see, He makes all things new again.

First Day of the Week

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She awoke again. It was the second night of poor sleep for the woman from Galilee. This was not the first time that she had wakened this night. Light from the waning gibbous moon came through the western window. Before long the sun would rise. Even now, she could complete her mission.

The teacher had changed her life, even as he had changed the lives of others. She had been a woman of the street. She had no good reputation. She had made bad choices and the consequences had multiplied as she slipped deeper and deeper into a life of degradation.

Then the teacher found her. He had cast seven demons from her. Having been physically, mentally and morally delivered, she had faithfully followed his teaching. She became part of a community of people who had been delivered.

She rose from the mat on which she had slept and made ready to visit the tomb where the teacher’s body lay. Two days ago, she had watched the rich man and his timid friend as they placed the teacher in the tomb. Then soldiers came and rolled a stone in front of the entrance. Then they sealed it and set a guard over it.

As she prepared to leave, two other women from the group joined her and together the three approached the tomb. To their great surprise, the stone no longer blocked the entrance. Inside, the tomb was empty. What did it mean? Her feet swiftly carried her back to the place they were staying and she reported what she had seen to the bold one. He and the youth ran back the way she had come to find that the stone had been moved and the tomb was empty. They saw this, but still didn’t understand that the teacher had risen from the dead — just as the prophets had foretold.

The men returned to tell the others. The woman remained and wept. Through her tear-filled eyes she looked inside the tomb and there were two angels dressed in white. They asked her why she wept. Her tearful answer was, “They have taken him away, and I don’t know where.”

Then a kindly voice spoke from behind her. At first she didn’t recognize him. Then he called her by name, “Mary,” he said. She turned, and recognizing him cried out, “Teacher.”

Shortly after this, the teacher showed himself to others of his followers. They received him with joy as folks still do today.

With this, the woman left the pages of history, and we have no further reports concerning her. She remains for us as an example of faith, devotion and dedication to the teacher and deliverer.

The teacher still lives.