At this time of year, one of the things that I usually find myself on the lookout for are the first signs of the greening that happens in springtime; the brown grass and leafless trees begin to sprout new life. In the past few days, I have really noticed the grass turning green, the trees and plants beginning to show little buds and blossoms of life. Living in our new neighbourhood we are seeing all the things happen for the first time. We moved in one day after the first snowfall in November, so we barely saw our green yard. Now it is kind of like little daily surprises to see which plants are budding each day. 

But it isn’t just the plants and trees and grass. The whole neighbourhood seems to be coming alive. After being cloistered in our homes all winter, people are coming out into the streets, sidewalks and parks. Most evenings there are kids riding bikes or playing street hockey, families out for walks and playground adventures, schoolmates to be found at newly explored parks, soccer and baseball teams practicing at local fields. The Harte walking trail is so busy there could almost be traffic lights required. 

It is a wonder to watch the whole world seemingly come to life out of the winter depths. I know the same resurrection is happening all over the city, probably all over the prairies. 

I don’t know about you, but I have noticed it too at church. Maybe not as dramatic the transformation of our outdoor world, but this winter and spring there has been noticeable new life growing in our midst. There are a few more folks in the pews most Sundays; we now even sit on both sides of the sanctuary, instead of clumping all together on one side. Our online views have remained strong (often in the hundreds!) and yet there are just a few more folks consistently at church. Not to mention the life found in our Lenten study, our music groups picking up a great deal of our musical leadership, and the cautious optimism that we shared in our town hall. 

Of course, soon summer holidays, campground reservations and weekends at the lake will be calling out to us… but I suspect that we are taking a step into a new kind of stability (I won’t say “normal” just yet). Sure there is still COVID-19, inflation, war, Artificial Intelligence (like ChatGPT) taking jobs, forest fires, climate change and so many more things to worry about. 

But maybe, just maybe, in our fourth Easter since going into those pandemic lockdowns, we are actually experiencing a shift towards more tangible and visible signs of communal resurrection around us. I think that might be part of what it going on. 

As we come to the end of the Easter Season for this year, I have a feeling that the resurrection vibes and the feeling of being an Easter community might carry on.

Of course, after a couple years of pouring ourselves into coming out of the pandemic tomb and into new life, it is only after we begin to accept and come to terms with who and what we are now as a community of faith that God begins something new with us again. 

Whether we like it or not, I think this may be what it looks like to be an Easter People – a little bit messy but with new life appearing in surprising ways. 

Christ is Risen Indeed!