The image is taken from a medieval Spanish commentary on the book of Revelation.
Easter is a fifty day festival. We light the tall paschal candle to remind us of the presence of the Risen Christ and Holy Spirit in the assembly we know as church. Our theme for the previous season (Lent) this year was nearness to God and to one another. You could say our theme for Easter this year is distance, or how diverse people can find unity in Christ. At worship in the middle of the season (May 11) we’ll hear a vision of worship in Heaven:
… there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb!” (from Revelation 7)
This unity and peace is quite a contrast from the conflict between various countries and ethnicities we know: whether open war, dislike of foreigners or a self-centered nationalism. The season of Easter culminates in Pentecost (June 8) when we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit: the ability to speak a multitude of languages.
In the liturgy during this season, we’ll sing “This is the Feast,” a song of praise based on Revelation’s vision of heavenly worship. It was composed years ago by a pastor right here at First Lutheran (John Arthur) and is now sung by Lutherans everywhere. Each Sunday we’ll also feature at least one hymn from a different country around the world, with an introduction to that hymn printed in the bulletin.
Hospitality to migrants and especially refugees is a Christian tradition that’s always been important to First Lutheran. Recently we’ve helped friends from Latin America who seek asylum from dangers back home. This Easter, the council is organizing a meeting for those seeking ways to serve during a time of renewed deportations. Additionally, we’re looking into hosting a supportive meeting for migrants themselves who are afraid and uncertain. We hope to have more information soon.
Our Called to Care partner for extra giving during this season will be the Ecumenical Hunger Program in East Palo Alto. They “provide compassionate, dignified and practical assistance to families and individuals experiencing economic and personal hardship,” including many migrant families.
Our 9am Conversation this season will be about faith as a strength in hard times. We’ll be looking at scripture texts from worship and we’ll be reading the entire (very short) Old Testament book of Ruth, which is about a migrant encounter that brings hope to the world.
