Spring's Promise: Easter's Hope
Dear St. Andrew’s Church Family,
A couple of weeks ago, Sue tells me, “There’s something pushing up the mulch out front, I don’t know if it’s an animal digging at it or what.” Over the next couple of days, the bulge grew until Sue decided to clear away the mulch and pull back the weed fabric to reveal a hyacinth which had been pushing its way through. Another couple days later, the blossoms began to open up and it is a beautiful blue/purple color. We had no idea it was there as it was long dead when we moved in and the mulch had been freshly dispersed. But it was there dormant, just waiting for the right conditions to burst into new life.
Isn't that just like God? Taking what appears lifeless and bringing forth something beautiful and unexpected.
As we enter the Easter season, nature itself preaches a sermon about resurrection. The same God who transforms barren branches into blossoming trees is the God who rolled away the stone from Jesus's tomb. As the prophet Isaiah proclaimed, "Look! I'm doing a new thing; now it sprouts up; don't you recognize it? I'm making a way in the desert, paths in the wilderness" (Isaiah 43:19 CEB).
The resurrection story in John's Gospel begins in a garden, where Mary Magdalene discovers the empty tomb. Through her tears, she mistakes the risen Jesus for a gardener (John 20:15). Perhaps this wasn't a mistake at all—for isn't Jesus the ultimate Gardener of our souls, cultivating new life where we see only death?
The message of Easter isn't just about what happened in that garden two thousand years ago. Paul tells us, "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!" (2 Corinthians 5:17 CEB). Like our unknown hyacinth (and tulips and daffodils), new life can spring forth in the most unexpected places of our lives: - In relationships we thought were beyond repair - In dreams we had given up on - In hearts we believed were too hardened to change - In hope we assumed was lost forever.
So how do we live as people of resurrection? Here are some practical ways to embrace new life this season:
1. Look for signs of God's renewal in your daily life—where do you see hope sprouting?
2. Participate in a community garden project, literally helping new life grow
3. Reach out to someone who needs to hear a message of hope
Remember, Easter isn't just a day—it's a way of living. We are Easter people, called to be witnesses of resurrection in a world that desperately needs hope.
As I watch the hyacinth growing taller each day, I'm reminded that God's timing isn't always our timing. Sometimes growth happens slowly, sometimes it bursts forth overnight, but it always happens according to God's perfect schedule.
What feels dead in your life right now? What dreams, hopes, or relationships seem beyond revival? Remember, the same power that raised Christ from the dead is at work in you.
This Easter season, let's be people who believe in resurrection—not just as a historical event, but as a present reality. Let's be people who look for new life in unexpected places and trust in the God who makes all things new.
With hope in the Risen Christ,
Pastor Brian
Rev. Brian Lucas, Pastor | blucas@susumc.org
Be sure to check out this article in our full newsletter from April 2025 - Click Here!
