I just finished checking the Covid numbers for the week in Greene County, and thankfully we are at the “low” level, as is much of Ohio. Of course, we still need to take common sense precautions as the virus is still active and it is still sending people to the hospital or worse. However, due to several factors such as vaccination rates and other precautions, we have mostly returned to normal, or a new normal perhaps, at Beaver church. I was thinking about this as Easter approaches and we prepare for our services and events. This will be the first Easter season since 2019 that will more or less have all the elements that it did before, including Easter lilies, although we did have to order them very early. The lilies are a small example of the new normal, where some things are still different and might be for quite some time. Then there are people who continue to struggle with things such as long Covid, or the loss of a loved one to the disease, and that will forever change their life.
Sometimes we think of life as a type of normality that is impacted by significant events, and then goes back to the normal it was before. It is as if events are like splashes in a pool of water, but after the waves are done, the pool goes back to the way it was before. The reality, however, is that there is no such thing as a static normal in life. We are affected by events, sometimes in drastic ways, and afterwards things return to a proximity of the life we knew before, but it is different; it has changed. Even if the Covid virus were to disappear overnight, its long-term effects will always be with us on some level, with things such as online services and long lily pre-order windows being reminders of that past. Such a realization can be stressful, as it means that the world is constantly changing, and will never be the same. Of course, sometimes change is good and beneficial for many generations to come.
I was thinking of this as I pondered the Easter season. Is it a time when we remember something that happened a long time ago, or is it a time in which we acknowledge something in the here and now? Yes, the fact is that Christ was crucified nearly 2,000 years ago. All of the people that witnessed the event have long since passed. The event is so long ago that the languages that recorded it are now dead. The resurrection of Christ was similarly a long time ago, but it is an event that we still feel today. Through the death and resurrection of Christ we have received salvation, even some 2,000 years later. Praise the Lord that change does in fact happen, and that all did not return to the way it was before Christ. So, as we celebrate Easter this year, let us remember the historic events that we read about in scripture, but more importantly let us remember that Easter is still with us in this very moment, the resurrection of Christ reverberates through time, and it is an event that is happening right before our eyes.
Peace, Blessings, and Happy Easter!
Pastor Brian
Watch Past Worship Services
Videos of each week's service are available – click here. Sermons from past years are available on The Pastor's Page™.
Maundy Thursday Service - April 6 - 6:00 PM
On Thursday April 6th at 6PM we will have a Maundy Thursday service in the lower lever of the church. There will be a light meal along with the service, soup will be provided and people are encouraged to bring other simple food for the meal. Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, and marks the last moments before Christ went to the cross. It is a solemn but meaningful service. Please join us as we journey with Christ and each other.
Easter Breakfast - April 9 - 9:00 AM
The Easter Breakfast will begin at 9:00 am on April 9th, Easter Sunday, and food will be served for a little more than an hour. We have a wonderful group of volunteers this year headed up by Patti King, and we will have several breakfast dishes, including French toast. There is no charge, but donations are welcome.
Easter Egg Hunt - April 9 - following Worship Service
We will be having an Easter egg hunt on April 9th after the 10:30 Easter service. The event will be held outside if the weather permits, and inside if there is bad weather. Please feel free to bring plastic eggs with treats in them in the weeks leading up to Easter. They can be left on the island in the kitchen downstairs.
Questions you always wanted to ask Sunday - April 16
Once again, On Sunday April 16th, we will have a special Sunday where the church gets to ask the pastor questions. Instead of a regular sermon, Pastor Brian will pick several questions out of a basket and answer them. The congregation is asked to think of some good questions. Perhaps there is some theological question that you just are burning to have answered. We will have pieces of paper and pens out in advance for you to write your questions on. For those online, questions can be asked via Facebook, or sent to Pastor Brian in advance via email.
Church Pizza & Game Night - April 28 - 6:00 PM
The planning committee has decided that we had so much fun at our last game night, that we would do it again. So we will be having another pizza and game night at the church on Friday April 28th, at 6:00pm. We are asking that people who come bring a favorite game with them, and we will gather in groups to enjoy the evening together. Please come and join us for this fun event. Also, please let Pastor Brian know if you think you might attend so we have an idea of how much pizza to order.
Donation of new AC unit for the Sanctuary
The church would like to thank the family of Annette Marts, who donated funds to pay for a new AC unit for the sanctuary. It was one of Annette’s last wishes to do something for the church such as this after she passed. The new unit has been installed and should work well once the weather warms up.