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These are exciting days in the life of Central Lutheran Church. We are finding ourselves deep in the season of Easter, and celebrating the resurrection promise that death no longer has any power over us. What a powerful message by which to live as so much of the news that comes to us from the world is quite the opposite: pain, war, injustice, poverty, suffering.

In spite of all the ways of death by which our world is so often defined, we at Central continue to deal in life. During one of my interviews with congregational members someone piped up as soon as I asked about Central’s strengths and said, “We are small but mighty.”  I didn’t know just how true that was at the time – early in February. But every day that I serve you here I come to believe it more and more. Especially the “mighty” part.

Central is mighty in the way that it continues to serve. Each day you are deeply involved in the lives of one another. I see you sharing your joys and your sorrows. Every week – and many times in between – you reach out to the Everett community meeting the very real need of hunger that is so prevalent in our community. And your ministry reaches far beyond Everett. Ministries of the Month recently have included Lutheran World Relief and ELCA World Hunger. The quilters continue to sew away. Each week in the liturgy we pray for the needs of the world.

And, we also are at an important turning point in the ministry of seeking new, permanent pastoral leadership at Central. The Transition Team is about to complete its work and hand it over to the Call Committee that you will soon elect.  Informational forums about how Central will be described to potential pastoral candidates will be held on 12 and 19 April following the service.  A Call Committee election is coming very soon.

Easter will not be crushed beneath the load of the world’s sorrows and woes. Each day is a day of resurrection and, even when life deals us its worst, the promise abides, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” And, “there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God which is ours in Christ Jesus.”