The Table is Spread

Alleluia, Christ is Risen!

Easter greetings to you all from my cafe office on a beautiful morning in April. As I multi-task away this morning, working on the GOL Annual Report, our Enews and my parish’s final confirmation class, I’m pondering all of the ways that resurrection is happening around us.

Last year we launched our super successful Lay and Bi-Vocational Leader networks to continue our mission of literally gathering the leaders of the church. These very important groups of people support the church is ways too many to number alongside their traditional clergy colleagues. We have new Gatherings scheduled for these groups this year, new places for connections to be made, support to be found, and for ministries to flourish and grow.

In Michigan it’s not yet warm enough to sow the seeds that will bring a summer and fall harvest, but the bulbs I spent hours on my knees sowing last fall have risen in a glorious display of fragrant pink, purple and yellow. In the meantime I dream of the taste of garden cucumbers still warm from the sun.

My home parish preaches St. John Chrysostom’s Paschal Homily on the Great Vigil of Easter and his words ring in my ears alongside the clanking of cutlery and chatter of conversation in the cafe this morning.

“For the Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first. He gives rest to him who comes at the eleventh hour, as well as to him to toiled form the first…Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice! Christ is risen, and life is liberated! Christ is risen, and the tomb is emptied of it’s dead!”

And so I say again, alleluia, and come all! Because the table is spread and the feast is underway even as the spring flowers bloom and our network of passionate leaders grows and grows for the good of the realm of God.

Alicia+

                                                                                          Alicia Hager                                                                                                               Communication & Community Curator, The Gathering of Leaders