Easter came to New England again. And the Lenten season leading up to it was a journey we took together as we followed Jesus toward the cross. We met on Thursday evenings in the chapel and discussed various ideas about the cost of the cross and Christ's sufferings there. Different lay people lead each week. It was a time of rich blessings for those who attended. Then we stood together on Maundy Thursday and ended the service in quiet and darkness as we focused on the sacrificial death of our savior. Easter Sunday came with great rejoicing as we celebrated Christ's resurrection and his victory over death.

This seems very important to us as a church family now as we plan a memorial service for one of our own next Saturday. Last month, Pastor Jon wrote about how the resurrection matters. Now we confront it face to face as death has come among us. Our hope for tomorrow is built on the blood Christ shed on the cross as a forgiveness of our sin and his victory over death that first
Easter.

Now what? Some forty years ago, Jon and I traveled to Switzerland to study with the theologian Francis Schaeffer who wrote a book entitled "How Should We Then Live." I find myself thinking over and over about his title. Easter has passed and now, how shall we then live? Someone we love has died, how shall we then live? We find that answered in last Sunday's text from Matt. 28: 19, 20 when Christ commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. We are to teach these new disciples to obey God's commands. That passages ends with the assurance that He will be with us always.

But how do we do that? Our lives are busy, our families demanding, our jobs difficult. We are now having a four week study to help prepare us to do just that. Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Church in leading us through a DVD study on personal evangelism. His answer to the question, "How shall we then live?," is to Just Walk Across the Room and share the good news of Jesus Christ. I invite you to join us as we continue this journey.