Greetings in the Name of Our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ

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What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Ch. 6:1-4

Greetings in the name of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ.

I am writing this letter for the post-Easter season from just before the events of Holy Week and I find that it is a weird juxtaposition. I’m trying to think of the new life that we have through Christ’s resurrection but still face the ugly reality of his betrayal, and death. It is a heavy time not only in the lives of the faithful but also in terms of preparation. For those with active faith lives this is about as busy a time as it gets. Our Lenten services are freshly done but there is still Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunrise to go (from my pre-resurrection perspective). We have just finished the Spring Confirmation Retreat at Camp Kateri as well as a few other events and activities and I, at least, feel the need to sit down in a dark quiet place and simply be for a little while because things right now are moving very quickly and there’s a lot to get done. The stress is mounting.

These feelings, I know, do not belong to pastors and church workers alone. Everyone now is in the midst of their Easter celebrations, this means you have added stress of family and all the preparations they entail, from opening up rooms for guests to feeding them to putting up with them. Maybe you are a student who is looking at finals coming up finding it hard to find new life in Christ when academics are pressing. Regardless of who you are, it is a stressful time of the year and while stress can lead to great creativity and work, if it goes on for long periods of time, it can really kill us.

In a recent survey I saw that only 3% of Americans are living out a “healthy lifestyle.” 3%! That means that 97% of us are overworked, overstressed, and heading down a path of self-destruction. I can relate to this now as I write this letter from the shadow of death pre-Easter but what about to those reading it in light of the Resurrection? Did Christ die so that only 3% could live? As St. Paul would say, by no means!

Those of us who stand on this side of the Resurrection must walk in newness of life. Jesus lived so that we may live also. Continuing to live out the death of stress and worry denies the very victory through which Christ won our salvation. Part of the new life offered to us by Christ is freedom that comes when we cast off those things that are burying us, even if they are good things. Maybe you can’t say no and volunteer too much. Maybe you are taking on work that really should belong to someone else because you can do it better. Maybe you are just spread so thin that a healthy lifestyle is nothing more than a fond dream. Do we need to hold on to these things quite so tightly?

It is time for us to check our priorities. It is time for us let the past stay in the past. It is time for us to cast off those things that draw us from God. It is time to live. He Has Risen! Amen.

Peace in Christ,

Pr. James

Women of the ELCA Information:Upcoming Events

Carol Joy Holling Camp, May 13-15

Help make the camp ready for summer campers! Tangible offerings include fleece for projects (2 yard coordinating lengths sent together), embroidery floss, white socks (sizes small, medium, and large), colored Sharpie pens, and WalMart or Target gift cards for other program supplies.

MOSAIC Home in Minden, August 5-7

Interact with the residents to help make their dreams come true! Tangible offerings include dishcloths or towels, bath towels, washcloths, and WalMart, JCPenney, or Target gift cards for socks, underwear, and other necessities. To register, send $39 with your name, address, e-mail address, phone number, church, and special needs to: NSWO Treasurer Sandy Terry, 1461 2nd Avenue Ct., Fremont, NE 68025-5317. Phone: 402-957-4480

SAVE THE DATE:Women of the ELCA Tenth Triennial Gathering, Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 13-16, 2017.

For more information, visit welcatg.org or call 1-800-638-3522 ext. 2730. A brochure with more information is available on the bulletin board.

RESOURCES: Keep up with the latest WELCA events and information at:

NSWO website:

FACEBOOK page: Nebraska Women of the ELCA

CHURCHWIDE website:

Beth Moore’s “Children of the Day” Bible Study, based on 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, will be starting on Tuesday evenings at 7pm in McCool Junction for nine weeks. There is a $16 workbook associated with this study, which provides five individual study days to be done at home before each weekly meeting. If you are interested in attending, please sign up at First Lutheran, or email () or call (402-740-1985) Pastor Becky. Let her know you are attending by Tuesday, April 12th so that a workbook can be ordered for you. You are sure to find yourself more connected to the Word and energized by Beth Moore’s study and depth into God’s Word! The first meeting will be held on Sunday, April 17th.

April Humor

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