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 Sometimes
I’m envious of this lifestyle, where so much is predictable, you
know everyone’s name and your family tends to stick around as well.
Still, I’m grateful to you all for the five years I’ve lived in
Lincoln. Of course, I love the members of St. John UCC and I love
others here in this community. My last Sunday will be the Sunday
after Easter, but still, in Eastertide. I will be moving (yet again)
to Texas, which will be a whole new adventure!
What I want to leave with you in this Easter season is that I see
Lincoln rising to new life, just like our Savior Jesus Christ, and
the ways I hope you will continue to rise!
You’ve had some severe blows from Covid in your
health care and other businesses. You’ve lost Lincoln College and
Lincoln Christian University has been diminished. The courthouse is
still, sigh, under revision. (No judgement, here, setbacks from
Covid times have delayed so much!) And, I don’t know about you, but
I’m still grieving the loss of Kroger in our community.
Still, you continue!
Your healthcare staff in every facility is doing its best to rise to
new life. There is hope of new owners of what used to be Lincoln
College, but change has to happen.
Lincoln has to rise up!
For the courthouse to be replenished, the institutions need to
continue, the children need to be loved, Lincoln needs to rise up!
While change is hard at times, you can resolve within yourselves
that this is what needs to happen for your community to thrive!
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That’s the Easter Spirit!
I want to take this opportunity to thank you, Lincoln, for harboring
me for the last five years as pastor of St. John and a member of
this community.
I pray your Easter spirits will continue to raise you up towards all
things good, for all people, no matter what!
I pray that all people will feel as loved and accepted as I have and
that you will remember that each one of you was created by God as a
work of art!
I pray each of you will live into the Easter Spirit!
Do some of you remember the song, “Jesus loves the
little children. All the children of the world. Red and yellow,
black and white, they are precious in his sight, Jesus loves the
little children of the world.” We are all, no matter our age, race,
sexualities, and creed, God’s children.
Rise above all hate, all prejudice, all exclusivity to embrace your
diversity!
That’s the Easter Spirit!
Rise above all gloom and doom about the future of the town by
believing great things can happen here like they have in the past!
That’s the Easter Spirit!
Amen!
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