Sitting in my office this week, I could see the red tips forming on many of the trees outside. The buds are getting ready to burst open with that bright green of new leaves. The sights, sounds, and signs of new life are all around. What are the signs that your faith is emerging with new growth? Sometimes it is a new perspective on familiar Bible passages, or a new calling to serve, minister, or give in a new way. But it should keep growing, especially after Easter Sunday.

Although the peeps and the jelly beans will all be half off after Easter and the Easter decorations will be put away, our faith should be renewed and flourishing. For Christians, Easter is not a day but a way we live our lives. It is with promise and hope! Our faith should not be put in the box with all the other Easter decorations, to be brought out for a few glorious weeks. Easter season, in the church, lasts until the day of Pentecost. This is the time to live out our faith even more boldly.

One of my favorite hymns for the Eastertide season is “The Hymn of Promise”. We will be singing it in a few weeks in church. The lyrics go like this:

In the bulb, there is a flower In the seed, an apple tree In cocoons, a hidden promise Butterflies will soon be free

In the cold and snow of winter There's a spring that waits to be Unrevealed until its season Something God alone can see

There's a song in every silence Seeking word and melody There's a dawn in every darkness Bringing hope to you and me

From the past will come the future What it holds, a mystery Unrevealed until its season Something God alone can see

In our end is our beginning In our time, infinity In our doubt, there is believing In our life, eternity In our death, a resurrection At the last, a victory

Unrevealed until its season Something God alone can see

It is the season to reveal new things! It is the season to discern who Plum Creek church will be as we walk with God into the future. This is exciting, it is like waiting for the flower to begin to bloom or the tree to burst forth in bright green leaves!

The CAT (Congregational Assessment Tool) is our way to walk into the future with hope and insight. We rolled out our congregational survey on Palm Sunday! I cannot stress to all our members and friends that are involved with our church how important it is to complete this survey! The results will show us the sights, sounds, and voices of the future and help us to discern where God is leading us in ministry.

Please take time to answer the questions to the best of your ability. There are multiple-choice and a few open-answer questions. Elsewhere in “The Caller” is the link and QR code that can be used to access the survey. There are also directions if you want to use the printed copy instead. Whichever way you choose, please just complete it. Each person in the household should complete the survey themselves. We need every person’s input. The surveys need to be completed by Wednesday, April 17 when the survey will close. Printed responses should be to the office by Sunday, April 14 so that the CAT Team can input them into the computer. We will look forward to a discussion of the results sometime in May.

Our sanctuary has been buzzing each Sunday! I hope you will continue to join us through April as we will welcome two guest speakers from the Pittsburgh Presbytery to lead us in worship. As I am still working through the Commissioning process in the Presbytery, I am grateful that Rev. Ralph Lowe and Rev. Brian Wallace are such a great support. The sermon scriptures for April will be as follows:

April 7: Rev. Ralph Lowe Communion Acts 4:32-35 “Display, Demand, Deliver”

April 14: Pastor Carolyn Luke 24:36b–48 “Open Minds, Waiting Hearts”

April 21: Pastor Carolyn John 10:11–18 “The Shepherd Who Knows”

April 28: Rev. Brian Wallace

May you all be blessed this Easter season with the hope and promise of new life!

Easter Blessings,

Pastor Carolyn