St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church

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Pastor's Message - May 2023

He Is Risen.

Easter is a long season and believe it or not we do spend a larger portion of the month of May still in the season. I do believe there is a song that may be some of you have sung at one time or another called, “Every morning is Easter morning.” The chorus of the song begins with these words, “Every morning is Easter morning from now on.” And do these words ever ring true.

But I have to say; do we ever grow tired of hearing the Easter story; does it leave with the celebration of Easter morning? Hopefully not. So how do we continue celebrating Easter every morning? Well, is through abiding in the presence of Christ every morning. We must encourage abiding behavior in our worship and have a tendency and desire to abide in Christ.

First, we can start with Silence. Silence is good practice. It is a space where we can let God take control. It allows us to surrender ourselves to the working of the Spirit and the voice of God. If you have a difficult time with being silent, you should find a place to sit where you are comfortable, take deep breaths, and say a simple prayer such as this, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening,” and then let your mind drift.

If you can experience silence on a regular basis, you can learn to abide, but it does take some practice. So take some time for silence.

The second might sound the opposite but it is another good way to abide in Christ and that is through music. Music fills us with sound instead of silence. And sometimes sounds, like a direct sound can lead us into deeper communion with Christ and with one another. I do stress that the challenge is not to get through the music as quickly as you can but listen to the words, feel the melody, dwell in it, and let it wash over you. You can get lost in the sound and words. So, listen deeply to the words, feel the rhythm, and lean into the moment and be alive to what happens inside of you as you hear and feel.

The third one is a bit different but allows a heightening of your focus, it is paying attention to the word. Listen to the word as if it is the very word coming from the mouth of Jesus. And if you take the time to read it, do it with intensity and passion. Allow the words of God to encourage you, to touch your heart and ring in your ears.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, these are just a few of the things that I do to abide in Christ. They do take practice and dedication, but it also allows hope in the future. It allows your heart to open for an opportunity for Christ to come into your heart over and over again. Do not be afraid to find new ways of abiding because every morning is Easter morning from now on.

Blessing on the month of May ahead.

Pastor Perucy N. Butiku

Coverage Pastor