Dear Friends in Christ,

Happy Easter!

The weather is warmer, Christ is risen! Easter is a 50-day feast when we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection as well as our rebirth into a life with Him. After the contemplative season of Lent, when we pondered our own mortality, we celebrate life anew!

We also need to celebrate St. Stephen’s anew and think about how we will move into the future. We will begin our Mission Action Plan process to figure out where God is calling us in our community. It is a very exciting time to be here at St. Stephen’s. During Easter we celebrate with joy Jesus’ presence in our lives. As we give thanks for Him and for all of God’s gifts, we should also think about the good works we can do in God’s name. Where is God calling you to serve? How can you let the Holy Spirit guide you in your life? Please pray about your personal ministry and how it can be of value to the world through St. Stephen’s. The waiting time is over; the time to act is now.

I have a reflection to share which is wonderful to ponder for Lent and Easter. (I shared it last year as well.) It comes from Desmond Tutu’s book “An African Prayer Book.” This is a collection of spiritual writings from all over the African continent as well as the African Diaspora.

Make Us Instruments of Your Faith

For your blessing we thank you God: faith in you.
Increase it, we beg, so that we no longer doubt.
Drive out all our miserliness, so that we do not refuse you anything.
Increase our faith, for the sake of those with only a little.
Fill our bodies with faith, our bodies that work for you all our days.
Help us to avoid the enemies of our faith, or to overcome them.
You are with us in confrontations; this we believe.
In your hands we place ourselves, and are secure.
Make haste to enter our hearts; make haste.

~Masai, Tanzania~

Yours in Christ,

Mo. Lauren

The Rev. Lauren T. McLeavey
Rector

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