Pastor's Message

March 2026

God’s beloved people,

Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  On Easter Sunday, April 5th this year, Christians around the world will be greeting each other with the best news ever.  This is the day that the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

A year ago, at the dean’s retreat with the bishop we were at Immaculate Heart Retreat Center outside of Spokane.  This convent and Catholic retreat center had a nice outdoor stations-of-the-cross walk.  The walk went up and down hills and in and out of the woods.  It was meaningful and I walked it several times.  Each station emphasizes an event during Jesus’ last week of earthly life.  For example, “Jesus is arrested.  Jesus before Pilate.   Jesus is crucified.”  At each of the 14 stations there was a scripture and a prayer.  But at the end of the walk, I and the other pastors all looked at each other and said, “Uh… what about the resurrection?”  We all expected/wanted a big sign post remembering Jesus’ resurrection from death and perhaps the words of Matthew 28:1-10, our Gospel reading for Easter Sunday this year.  It just wasn’t there.

Now I know it was a “Way of the Cross” walk and it’s true that we Lutherans don’t always spend enough time on Jesus’ crucifixion.  We always need to give thanks for Jesus laying down his life to forgive our sins and the sins of the whole world.  Good Friday always precedes Easter Sunday.  Even Martin Luther said, “The cross of Jesus IS our theology.”

But equally important is Jesus’ resurrection from death!  The great glad news that we celebrate at Easter is that death is not the last word: Not for Jesus and not for us.  God raised Jesus up from death to fresh and everlasting life.  Death could not hold him down for he is risen!  Because of Jesus the life giver, we Christians do not live in fear of death.  We know that our Savior Jesus is giving us new life right now in our earthly days.  And we know that Jesus will give us eternal life with God when our earthly time is over.

I’m writing this just before the Fifth Sunday of Lent (raising of Lazarus Sunday).  Jesus says to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life.  Those who believe in me will never die. John 11:25-6.  Then Jesus raises Lazarus back to life from death.  In the Gospel of John this is Jesus’ greatest miracle and certainly points ahead to Jesus’ own cross and resurrection.

Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Happy Resurrection Day to one and all! 

  ~ Peace in Jesus, Pastor Dennis