On my first Easter as a pastor, I planned for an Easter Sunrise Service at the church I was serving. It was a small rural church where I served part-time while I also worked as a physical therapist and started seminary coursework. I was so excited to plan the Sunrise Service. I had always enjoyed the early morning service when I was growing up. I was eager for the congregation to witness the sunrise together. I wanted to ensure that we didn’t miss it, so the service was scheduled early – really early. In fact, way too early – for when I came to the closing song, it was still pitch black outside. We sang an extra song or two, but the sun was clearly a long way off, so we all moved to the Fellowship Hall for breakfast together. Finally, about halfway through our early breakfast, the sky started to lighten, and we were able to move outside and watch the sunrise.
Sometimes in life it seems that the light is a long time in coming. When we’re in dark times, we are eager for the sun to shine. The reality is that the sun is present even though our part of the world hasn’t fully rotated to bring it into view. Even in the darkest midnight – we know that the sun is there and, in just a few hours, will be fully visible.
The Son is always present in our lives, whether or not our eyes are capable of seeing Him. The Light of the World is with us, even when everything looks to be shrouded in darkness. Since we know the ever-faithful presence of Christ, we need not fear the darkness; we know that it is temporary.
Lent is a time when darker colors are often used to remind us of our own mortality. We began the season with the dark ashes on Ash Wednesday and will continue the journey through the extinguishing of the last candle on Good Friday. The darkness is not the absence of Christ but rather a tool to help us ignore the distractions in the world around us and focus on our relationship with Jesus. The darkness can help you to turn inward and reflect upon your identity as a child of God.
During this season, be sure to spend time in devotional reading and prayer. Be intentional to set aside moments where the clutter of a busy schedule doesn’t interrupt your time with God. Remember that even the darkest night ends with the rise of the sun. The quiet stillness of Lent ends in the joyful light of Easter morning!
Rev. Wendy Lambert, Senior Executive Pastor
