Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Ascension finds itself in a time of expectation! Easter is upon us and with the announcement that the tomb is empty, we find ourselves looking to the joy of spring – the earth coming alive as the edges of winter begin to give way to the warm winds of life – new life. What would God have us do in the world to God’s great glory? How shall we look to the world around us and see the face of Christ calling out to us?

Now that Easter Sunday has come and gone, are you already setting yourself up for summer break – or is there still a hunger that gnaws at you, calling you to something new, something different, something more in your relationship with God? The lilies have bloomed, the trumpets have sounded, the tomb stands empty, and in these days of appearance as Jesus shows himself to the disciples and countless others before he ascends into heaven, there is energy, curiosity, expectation in the air…do you feel it?

I tell you God is at work at Ascension! Do you believe it? Do you feel God’s presence – the Holy Spirit at work? The fruits of our labor in service to God are not in vain, nor do they go unnoticed! God is at work at Ascension and we are beginning to see the work of God all around us. We give thanks to God for the 32 First Communion candidates who celebrated their First Communion on Palm Sunday or will celebrate their First Communion on April 3. What joy to welcome these fourth and fifth graders to God’s altar. Please join me in prayer asking God’s blessing on the journeys before each of our First Communion candidates. We are also grateful for the work of musicians and altar guild who took extra time behind the scenes to prepare for the powerful and moving worship of Holy Week. We have received new members and look to the future where God will invite more people into the midst of our community. God is at work! The Holy Spirit is on the move and we are looking forward to the blessings of God among us in the gifts of each other!

We have traveled the road of Lent to the cross and we are now on the road of the cross that carries us into the future. During Lent, we were following Jesus to the cross. Now, we look to Jesus who leads us within the shadow of the cross into the future. The cross was never an end but a place to begin again and again and again. Where will God in Jesus Christ take us in the days ahead? Where do we want to go as God’s people? Where do you want to go as God’s child? Who cares? As long as we travel together — following in the footsteps of our God!

May God grant you joy in these Easter days!

~ Pastor Chris Marien

(This article is taken from Ascension’s April 2016 newsletter).