Dear friends,
Many years ago, when I was learning how to lead worship, it was emphasized that in Holy Week, we should ensure that the Good Friday service was a priority. There was a feeling that most people were glad to move from the palms and Hosannas of Palm Sunday to the lilies and hallelujahs of Easter Sunday, skipping over the thorns and silence of Good Friday. In 2024, it can feel like we spend more time in Good Friday than either Palm Sunday or Easter Sunday. The last few years have been long and hard for our bruised world. As we pray for peace in Ukraine and Palestine/Israel, struggle to afford to feed and house our children, welcome refugees, reckon with race, and live with the climate emergency, it can be easy to sink under the concerns of the world. The same combination of power and hate that faced Jesus and his disciples threaten to overwhelm us.
So this year, while remembering the cross, we may need to lean into the empty tomb of Easter and remember resurrection. Christ is risen - he is risen indeed! Death is not the final word, but new life is always possible. Love is all around us and within us. The way we get through the challenges is to remain in God's love and to be renewed by resurrection hope. At camp, we hope to create an Easter space for all our campers and guests. A place where all are welcome and everyone is celebrated as a beloved child of God. Where children from all walks of life sit at the table together and laugh and laugh and laugh with each other. Where everyone is able to rest in the fresh air and play in the water. Where deep conversations happen around the campfire and voices are raised in song. We all need that joy to fill us, so we are able to respond to the hurting world.
If you ever feel you need a dose of that joy, please come and visit! We would love to see you at Kirk in the Cedars, Sunday Supper, one of the upcoming workshops, or just any day you happen to be driving by. Nothing brings me joy more than a day at camp in the summer seeing campers having fun - please come and experience this joy as well!
In joy, Theresa