Easter 2021
As I read the Gospel for Easter these words jumped off the page. Why are you weeping? This year has been one wrought with all sorts of emotions. It has not been easy. In so many ways it seems like when we started the Lenten season in 2020 it persisted through the entire year and continued on into 2021.
It has not been and is still not easy. We experience sorrow. We experience sadness. We experience loneliness, anxiety, heartache, frustration, annoyance and so much more. We have experienced death.
But that is not the whole story of the last year. Jesus reminds us, “Whom are you seeking?” I have seen the people of the church respond by providing food to those struggling. I have seen congregations pivot to make sure people can worship online and in person. I have seen people celebrate doctors, nurses and those on the front lines with cheers and shouts of joy. I have seen congregations gather outside hospitals and homes to pray and encourage those directly affected by COVID-19. I have seen pastors and loved ones fully gowned in protective gear at the side of loved ones as they breathe their last. I have seen baptisms occur and lines of cars for communion.
Whom do you seek? The answer to this question never changes. We seek Jesus, “the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
We, as the church, respond with the love of Jesus in the midst of the greatest adversity we have ever known.
The dollars you give to the Atlantic District support those seeking Jesus, our Risen Lord, during this time of tumult and difficulty. Your dollars make sure that we continue to share the good news of the One who died and rose for us, that we may have life in him. Your dollars support the hungry, the meek, the lowly and all who are seeking Jesus, whether they know it or not.
Won’t you partner with the Atlantic District this season, as we seek Jesus and Engage the World with the Gospel of Hope?!
Blessed Easter!
Rev. Derek. G. Lecakes
President/ Bishop Atlantic District - LCMS