Make All Things New

We are in that strange season in Illinois in which we can go from winter to summer to spring to winter all in a week! It is a time of anticipation. And a time of waiting. It is too early to put the snow shovel away and too early to pack away the parkas, sweaters and gloves. So, we wait…

Have you noticed that this year Easter (April 20) and Earth Day (April 22) are almost on top of each other. There is a lot of overlap in their themes: at Easter we proclaim that because of the life, death and resurrection, God has begun to “make all things new.” Part of the new creation that comes with Easter is the establishment of the on-going Christian community, charged with caring for other people and for the whole creation.

On Earth Day, which is not a specifically Christian holiday, we celebrate the goodness of creation and our individual and societal commitment to the care of the Earth and all its treasures. For Christians, “care of creation” is a way in which we exercise our calling to celebrate God’s boundless love, by celebrating the gift of creation itself.

At Grace, we will not specifically celebrate Earth Day on April 22. Instead, as a congregation, we are committed to making every day an Earth Day. Similarly, although we will celebrate Christ’s resurrection on the renewal of creation on April 20, it is our intention as individuals and as a congregation to celebrate the Living Christ every day of the year!

 In the love, joy, peace and hope of the Risen Christ,

Pastor Daniel Schwick