Dear fellow journeyers on the Way,

Wow – Christ is really risen, isn’t he? I heard a good one this morning, that is, an expression after the resurrection: “Christ on the loose!”

I am so thankful to be on this side of Easter, aren’t you? Lent lasts a long time, as I suppose it should. It sure is nice not to have to swallow any more “Alleluias”, but to just go ahead and say it. “Alleluia!” Umm hmm - feels good.

What a wonderful Lent, Holy Week, and Easter we’ve had! I believe our Lenten series, “Bread For the Journey”, was one of our best ever. Holy Week began with a powerful Palm Sunday, with another successful “Liturgy of the Palms @ the Courthouse”. So good to have our Methodist sisters and brothers, as well as many other folks who joined us there in front of the Courthouse. It really feels right to parade up Centre Street, following the bagpiper on our way to the church.

Maundy Thursday saw more children than in the past, as well as almost everyone participating in the foot-washing (hope I didn’t guilt trip anyone into it). And a major thunderstorm couldn’t keep our St. Peter’s folks away at Good Friday – even though we had to move the Stations of the Cross inside. Having Pat Lovejoy play the harp at the Good Friday liturgy was moving. And Easter Day – WOW!!! It was supposed to rain, and turned out to be a gorgeous morning. Yes – give me another “Alleluia!”

For those 4 days – Palm Sunday (4 services), Maundy Thursday (1 service), Good Friday (2 services), and Easter Day (4 services) – we had 1479 people in attendance. To make all those services smooth, meaningful, and all they should be, there were probably over 100 people who worked hard to make it all happen. I’d like to say a most special THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to: the Choirs and musicians, the Altar Guild, the Celebration Breakfast Team, all the acolytes, lectors, ushers, greeters, bread bakers, and servers, the participants in the Good Friday vigil, the parish office staff who pumped out thousands of bulletins, our sexton, Bob Grant and his accomplices, and Gary Bong (Vestry Person of the Day on Easter), who – by the way, earned an all-time high: 50 million kingdom points!!!

It is indeed a privilege to serve the risen Lord with such an incredibly generous, gracious, and talented parish family as you are at St. Peter’s. Thank you to each and every one of you. It’s a fact all right – Christ is on the loose around here. Yep – he is risen, he is risen indeed. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

† George