Dear Friends,

I count it a privilege to be able to communicate with you at various times of the year. As we traverse through the season before Easter, called Lent, we are prone to think of this season as one that is somber and about "giving up something." Indeed, the tradition of the Christian church is that no hymn with the word "Alleluia" in it can be sung until Easter morning.

As noted in my March contribution to the Visitor newsletter, I view Lent as more of an opportunity than as some gloomy ritual. When we can draw a bit closer to our God, take more time with Him, and find new ways to serve our Lord, these are opportunities for us. Our faith, our lives, and others' lives can be improved and strengthened. I hope your Lenten journey is one of faith building and Kingdom spreading.

On April 12, we celebrate the broke-open tomb. After a season of confronting our real selves, with our shortcomings and pains, there is HOPE. The Christian hope is one that is built on that which is very solid. The empty tomb can best be explained by the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead by God, as a vindication and proof, that Jesus was who he said he was. There have been not just a few authors who set out to write a book to prove that there must be some other explanation for the missing body of Jesus. One such author, Frank Morison, wrote the book Who Moved the Stone? He was an atheist. After his research, he dedicated his life to God and became a Christian. The empty tomb is a convincing thing.

Please join with us as we move toward "Victory Sunday" (Easter) in the Christian faith. Our worship schedule is here for you to note:

Palm Sunday, April 5, 10:00 a..m.
Good Friday, April 10, 7:00 p.m.
Easter Sunday, April 12, 10:00 a.m.

Easter helps us build up our hope and our faith. We are also in the process of building up our church. As we look ahead, we want to expand our ministries. We will be expanding our music ministry in the coming weeks. We are thankful for the Fish Fry coming March 13 and 27. That is for you to enjoy! We want you to come be a part of our ministries and life together. We are looking for more people to join us. The theme for our church that I shared with the church Council is "Come Help Us Build Our Church. " Building things is fun and rewarding. Building things for God's Kingdom is especially so. Your presence with us is an encouragement. We hope to both meet your needs as well as allow for your gifts and talents to be demonstrated.

So, as Easter dawns with the hope of new faith and perspective, join with us at St. Paul's. The empty tomb supports our faith. You help support our church. Come and be a part of us. Come help us build our church! Easter joy and hope and life to you!

Rev. Brad Thompson