The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Dear Friends,

Pierce County has shifted back into Phase Two with regard to protecting our community in this Covid-19 pandemic. The Governor’s Guidelines for churches limits indoor worship attendance to 25% of the building capacity. Since are limiting our congregation to 30 persons at each service plus other leaders, we are below our 25% capacity at just over 50, so we will continue to offer both in-person and online worship each Sunday.

One change in going back to Phase Two will be that congregational singing is not allowed. So we will have singers to lead the congregation at home to sing your hymns with exuberance, but we will not sing in-person. Our 10 am service will be livestreamed as usual.

If you plan to attend worship in-person this Sunday, please sign up at this direct link. (You can also go to the link from our website.) Registration will be open until Friday at 7 pm. Afterwards, please call the Church Office and leave a message.

This Sunday at both services I will be joined by a Guest Preacher: the Rev. Dr. Eric Jackson. Eric is a National Baptist pastor who has participated in many ecumenical services locally, and until recently was the Pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Tacoma. He is also a retired Army Chaplain (LTC).

Last Sunday I spoke about “practicing Resurrection”. The phrase comes from a poem by Wendell Berry. I mentioned 7 simple ways to practice in our daily lives. Here they are again:

* Practice gratitude for whatever blessings you have. For whatever is good and beautiful. Be thankful, and it will open you up to the grace of resurrection life.
* Practice forgiveness. Forgive those around you, since God has forgiven us through the resurrection of Jesus from our death of sin. Forgiveness allows new life to rise in a relationship that was dying and releases the other person to experience new life with you.
* Practice faith. Remember and claim God’s presence and love and power with you, even in the face of trials and crises and evil.
* Practice humor and laughter and playfulness. Easter is the triumph of life over death, which means that Death does not get the last laugh. Laugh with Christ. Laugh because after Good Friday and the tomb, there is Resurrection. Eastern Orthodox teachers like to speak of how Easter is the greatest joke on earth.
* Practice justice and being a witness to the Truth, because when we work for justice and stand against injustice and falsehood, we are participating in God’s resurrection power and are available for God to use us to build the resurrection kingdom.
* Practice being open to the present moment, and open to being surprised. The resurrection is the ultimate surprise. It comes to us where we are.
* Practice encouraging and affirming others, that they might experience the resurrection and new life also.
These ways or notes for practicing resurrection in our on-going, daily lives. As you practice them, I believe that Christ’s resurrection will become more real and powerful for you. The resurrection will also become more real for this community and world, to which we are sent by our Risen Lord as witnesses.