Pastor Jim’s Easter Letter

Dear Members and Friends,

Last week I received an email from a young man who was in my first confirmation class. That was over forty years ago. The class was a memorable one in that the group of sixteen youth have done amazing things.  This young man is a writer for the Chicago Tribune.  Some of us have kept in touch over the years. The purpose of his letter was to ask if I would be interested in a reunion of the class. That may seem odd.  But even more attention grabbing was how he signed off.  Before his name he wrote, “If there ain’t no resurrection, there ain’t no church.”  Granted the grammar needs work.  But the truth remains.  It was a phrase one of my students offered in response to my question, “What is the best proof of the resurrection of Jesus?”

Now as Easter approaches that phrase still captures the great good news of this foundational event for us.  Easter marks God’s great “Yes” to all the “No’s” that life can put upon us, including that great No of death.  By raising Jesus from the dead, God has broken the power of those No’s and granted to us the gift of life eternal, a life that is filled with joy, hope, and freedom.

Currently, we face the No of a building in need of repair, we may feel like we are in the tomb, a place cut off from life and hope.  But we are the church, the body of Christ.  And just as God raised the body of Jesus from death to new life, I firmly believe God in Christ will raise us up and give us the strength and courage to “Claim Our Future and Live our Faith” as we complete our building project.  What a statement of Easter that will be!  And that victory will once again confirm the truth of “If there ain’t no resurrection, there ain’t no church!”  The Hebron UMC will be a witness to that truth.

As the Festival of Easter approaches, I am extending an invitation to you and your family to join us in celebration of this great “Yes” of our Lord.  For your convenience, here is our Holy Week schedule of services.

  • March 25 Palm Sunday Worship at 10:30
  • March 29 Holy Thursday Holy Communion at 7
  • March 30 Good Friday Service of Tenebrae at 7
  • April 1 Easter Day Worship at 10:30 with special music by the children

The Easter offering this year will be designated for our general fund to support our on-going ministries and mission work.  We need to do some catching up, so please be as generous as you are able.  Checks may be made out to Hebron United Methodist Church (include “Easter” in the memo) and mailed to HUMC, PO Box 323, Hebron, IL 60034.  Thank you.

May the joy and hope of Easter, this great Good News of new life, bring blessings to you and your family.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Jim