"Caterpillars to Butterflies"

A Journey of Lent & Celebration of Easter

   As of this writing (Jan 7, 2008) our Easter celebration is only 12 weeks away.  That’s only 76 days or 1824 hours or 109,440 minutes or 6,66,400 seconds.  On Easter we gather together to celebrate that the Stone has been Rolled AWAY, and our Lord is RISEN!  Risen Indeed! RISEN to bring the world into a new life, as a new creation.  RISEN to reveal life after death.  RISEN to show the world once and for all that God will resurrect us to be with Him in paradise.  Thinking about it gets me excited and gives me peace. 

     But none of us are instantly ready to receive this power, to fully embrace this love.  No, we must be prepared.  And to prepare we must embark on a journey of transition, a renewal, a metamorphosis.

     Take the butterfly, a symbol of new life to all Christians, none are born this majestic and beautiful.  None are naturally ready to float in the air.  No, butterflies start off in this world as caterpillars.  Some of them are ugly, some are bright.  They slowly and clumsily live a short life of voracious eating, ever so vulnerable to be snatched up by a predator, or worse squashed by someone’s shoe.  But eventually they stop their routine of insatiable eating, and enter a chrysalis and begin to take time to let themselves change,  growing wings of beauty and splendor,  having the clumsy movements of their bodies emerge as creatures ready to take flight.

     The Christian Faith, and the Christian Church are a lot like caterpillars who yearn to become butterflies.  We work hard to see that all is done and taken care of: deadlines are met, rehearsals take place, Sunday School lessons prepared, activities planned.  And in time, no matter how hard we try to be graceful, we feel clumsy and ugly in our efforts.  And as a church in transition, these feelings are only intensified.

    Thank God for Lent!!  A time to stop the routine, and let God work to prepare us for the power of the resurrection so one day we can fly.

      For our journey this year we will stop our normal routine & engage in an All Church Interim Bible Study (IBS) for all people from 7th grade through adult.  The IBS is designed to help us in our time of transition both personally and as a congregation to begin a process of growth and preparation for our future.

     Come join the journey; prepare yourself for what God has planed for you and your church home.