Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Fresno, California
Sierra Pacific Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

2010 issue...

Pastor Ted

Dear Friends,

    During the whole month of March we are in the Church season of Lent.  If you were to ask people on the street randomly how their season of Lent is going I imagine you’d get some pretty confused looks.  Lent is not a time recognized by many in our society.  Yet for Christians it is a very important time.

    The season of Spring also begins this month on March 20.  I have always loved Spring.  When I lived in colder climates it meant the snow was going to start melting and the plants that were dormant for the long winter were about to be full of color and life.  Living here in Fresno we are blessed with a much more hospitable winter climate so instead of waiting for the snow to melt it has meant waiting for the time to turn the sprinklers back on and for the pool to warm up.  Soon we will be wearing shorts again and enjoying the life bursting forth all around us.

    I have been thinking about how Lent is like that time of waiting for all the new life to burst forth.  Lent is the time we as Christians are to be preparing ourselves for the coming Easter season.  It is the celebration of eternal life bursting forth for all of us through Jesus. 

    I think back to those cold winter days when I lived in colder areas.  As soon as the temperature hit about 55 degrees some of us were already in shorts and tee shirts because we were so excited for the new life and sun.  It was almost as if our wearing those clothes would somehow bring the Spring-like weather more quickly.

    Imagine if we had that same kind of excitement for Easter!  Imagine if we built up such excitement after waiting and preparing for Easter that we were shaking with anticipation!  Well, that doesn’t just happen.  I think during the coldest winters I have experienced it took waiting for the Spring to be even more glorious.  And if Easter just gets here without our preparing ourselves we will miss out on a lot of the glory of the season.

    You are invited to be preparing yourself for the glory of the Easter season with us!  You are not only invited to join us for Sunday worship and the other activities during the week but especially during Lent you are welcome to join us on Wednesday evenings.  We meet at 6:00 for a Soup Supper.  Thanks for all who are helping host these!  Then at 7:00 we will be meeting in the Community Center for a short video and discussion around our relationships with God and each other.  Among the themes will be: God’s will for your life, weeding out distractions from a full and vibrant life, and how your life can be making a real difference. 

    I hope this month of March is a blessed one for you!  Let’s use this time to be getting ready for the greatest event the world has ever seen … Easter!  I look forward to growing in our relationships with God and each other with you!

God’s Peace,

Pastor Ted