Three thousand Easter eggs will be hidden on Fluor Field Easter Sunday morning. (I’m not sure they’ll actually be hidden. How do you ‘hide’ brightly colored eggs on a well-manicured outfield? I’m guessing ‘scattered’ is more accurate.) I’ve been told the eggs will be filled with candy, toys and even money! (Personally, I’d be in it for the candy…but to each his or her own.) The service begins at 8:00am. I know it’s early, but Easter happened early in the morning. (The staff also needs adequate time to return to the Sanctuary and prepare for the broadcast of our 10:30 Easter Service.) I hope you will wake up early Easter Sunday morning, rouse your little ones, put on your mask, and make your way to Fluor Field. It will be a wonderful time of in-person worship followed by a lot of fun for our children. (Maybe someone will give me a piece of candy…)
A little over two-thousand years ago, the earthly life of Jesus ended, the lifeless body of Jesus was placed in a borrowed grave, and on the first Easter morning, a new, resurrected life began. All four gospels describe the morning in different ways. Throughout the decades, theologians have drawn our attention to various insights and varying levels of significance regarding the event. Regardless of their conclusions, the record of this event remains the greatest source of hope for people of Christian faith. It is our reminder: Death does not have the last word, no darkness is too deep for the power of God, and nothing can separate us from the love of God. Faith, not fear, is the defining core of our lives.
It has been over three hundred seventy days since our church gathered, in our Sanctuary, for in-person worship. We are hoping to regather in multiple services on Sunday, April 18. Our desire is to safely seat one hundred fifty worshipers at each service—masked and distanced. This date is less than thirty days away. We are also keeping a keen eye on COVID-19 and vaccination data provided by DHEC and the CDC to insure our plans are not hasty and unsafe. I know it’s not all about the numbers…but I am counting down the days.
—Jim