Weekly Update.

Easter is the season of HOPE. The message of Easter is that the way of being in Jesus, the way of living the new resurrected life is through participation. The original metaphors of the faith found in the New Testament and early church are old metaphors that need to be made new. The Easter Season is the time to recapture some of these old metaphors and make them new and fresh. The primary metaphor for the Easter season is the church as the resurrected people living a resurrected spirituality. Because of Easter we are in union with Christ.

It is highly appropriate that the second Sunday of Easter should focus on the church. The church is the community of God's people that is defined by the Easter event and called to live out the resurrected life. The second Sunday of the Easter season is a good time to call the church to be the community of the resurrected people. Easter is a time to call the church back to its roots, back to its original identity. The proof of the resurrection is not in rational argument but in the community of resurrected people. The church is called to be a sign, a witness to the Easter message that Christ has overcome the powers of evil. The church is called to be the embodied reality of a resurrected people who live out the reality of resurrection (Robert Webber).

This Sunday, March 30th we will initiate a focused effort of "Listening to Our Community". Often communities are developed by people outside of the community that bring in resources without taking into account the community itself. We are committed to listening to the community residents, and hearing their dreams, ideas and thoughts. Listening is most important, as the people of the community are the vested treasures of the future. The priority is the thoughts and dreams of the community itself. What the people themselves believe should be the focus.

Next Sunday, April 6th the KAMP's Gathering will be followed by dinner together.

On Saturday, April 19th we will join over 80 church in the metro area for Sharefest - an annual event to highlight and celebrate the numerous ways our faith community touches the needs of our city with help and hope.

Christ in Us, the HOPE...
Ben.