I still have my Easter wreath on my front door, and my Easter decorations in my home. I know we’re in May, which is late Spring heading to Summer. Here’s the deal, we are still in the 50 great days of Easter. The liturgical season of Easter lasts from Easter morning, all the way until the Day of Pentecost. So we are still in Eastertide. Easter is the oldest of the liturgical celebrations and deserve our attention to the fullest. This is the time we celebrate the greatest miracle of all, the resurrection. Its no small coincidence that Easter is celebrated during the Spring of the year. This is the time when the earth renews itself. All the plants and trees that went dormant during the Fall and Winter, have now sprung to life. A reminder of the act of resurrection all around us.

I used to really find Fall was my favorite time of the year. Its the season I was born in, it had all the fun holidays…Halloween and Thanksgiving! The colors were so gorgeous, with the yellows, reds and oranges. The air was crisp and smelled of those scents of nutmeg, cinnamon and clove. The clothes had rich dark colors and were all warm and snuggly. There is just so much to love about the Fall of the year. Its when I love to take vacation and see the colors, sights and smells. One of my favorite vacation spots has been the Adirondak mountains in upstate New York around Lake George. Every road, every turn around every corner is filled with glorious trees and glimpses of the lake. There are impromptu apple stands and Fall festivals along every roadside. You can smell and taste the season so tangibly. Every scene looks like a picture post card, or what magazines show Fall is supposed to be.

Okay, in case you haven’t guessed, I LOVE the Fall of the year. This year, however, I have a new appreciation for Spring. Being sequestered at home, I have spent much time on my patio. Planting new flowers and plants, I even planted a new tree in my front yard (more about that in a bit). There’s something about planting and nurturing that really brings a new awareness of the cycle of life. Watching the plants grow, spending time with growing things, has put me in touch with the real miracle of resurrection. God renewed the life of Jesus in the resurrection. God gave us a tangible way to understand what God wants to do for and in us. God wants us to be renewed and resurrected as well. God wants us to understand life as a cycle, and that cycle renews and grows in us, if we let it. This Spring, I have a better and deeper appreciation for celebrating the 50 Great Days of Easter.

As much as I have a new appreciation for Spring, the tree I planted is a red maple! Can’t wait to see its glorious colors in the Fall!

Blessings and Peace,
Pastor Tom