As I have been thinking and praying about what to write in this Easter letter, I found that my experience this past fall kept invading my thoughts. As many of you know, I encountered a heart attack on Oct. 11 of last year. On Oct. 12 it was revealed that I had two blocked arteries. One artery was blocked at 95% and a stent was placed in that artery immediately. I remember feeling a great sensation of when the blood began to go through my body. Life began racing through my body and it was an amazing feeling. I had no idea that my arteries were blocked and impacting my health. On Nov. 21, I received a second stent and now I have no blockages in my heart and I am on my journey to health and wholeness.In many ways, I believe I had an Easter experience last October. I hadn’t realized that my life and health were in jeopardy. In some ways, the blockage in my heart was like the stone placed upon Christ’s tomb. I experienced the miraculous power of God’s healing through a trained and caring medical team. I also experienced the sustaining grace and love of God through my faith community, you, the people of Lafayette Park UMC. These two experiences transformed my life. I now find that things that used to cause me to lose sleep at night no longer have power over me because in truth they are not life and death issues. They are things that no one will think about or even remember in a month or two.
I realize now that even though I have always considered myself an Easter person I haven’t really lived an Easter life. An Easter life is one that approaches each day knowing that we have already died and are living a resurrected life. Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in Christ who loved me and gave himself for me.” Each day I try to learn more about how to walk around in a healthy body empowered by God. It will be a long journey because I am a Methodist and, as Wesley invites us to do, I am going on to Christian Perfection.
In coming weeks I would like to request a few things for you to consider. First please join us this Sunday, March 25, after worship for a special gratitude fellowship from the Wilders. It is our humble way of trying to say thank you for all of the prayers, meals, rides, gifts, and amazing ways you have supported our family.
Secondly as we approach Easter, reflect on ways that you might be living as I was living, blocked and worrying about things that no one will remember in a month. What are the ways that you too can live in the power of a resurrected life? What habits or thought patterns need to shift to transform your life?
Our Easter offering this year will go to the restoration of the large east stained glass window. At the writing of this letter, we have over $39,000 towards our goal of $60,000 to restore the window. This restoration will give new life to our window and increase the quality of life in our sanctuary. It will care for the window for the next 100 years.
I pray that whatever you do in the next few weeks you may also experience the transforming miraculous power of Easter in your life.
Blessings,
Pastor Kathleen
