For in this hope we were saved.  But hope that is seen is no hope at all.  Who hopes for what they already have?  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.  In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.  Romans 8:24-27 (NIV)

We just celebrated the victory of our Lord over death.  His sacrifice means so much to us.  Because of His sacrifice, we are the recipients of the Holy Spirit.  How lucky are we that we have a God who cares enough to hear our prayers.  And luckier still, the Spirit knows the inner most concerns of our hearts and speaks on our behalf when we don’t even know what to say.  Have you ever had that time when you just couldn’t find the right words to express the way that you felt?  The Spirit can express those feelings for us.

The flowering of the cross during our Easter service really spoke to me about hope.  We start with a bare and barren cross and through the simple act of adding flowers, we see a masterpiece unfold before us.  Each flower that was placed on the cross brought a new sense of hope for beauty and completeness.  Working together, that hope was realized.  For anyone who had never witnessed this happening, it can be quite awe-inspiring to see the finished product.

I think the same is true for the future of our church.  Right now, we are quite bare (but definitely not barren).  We will be adding flowers as we move along the path to charting a new future for our church.  The Spirit will be active among us and will cry out with the words that we are searching for.  We will need many to come and help.  Each flower that is added will help us to create a path that moves us onward toward the Will of our Lord.

We will keep you updated about meetings that will happen to determine the next steps in our journey.  We invite many, those who regularly attend our services and those who do not, to come and add your thoughts to the process.  The more input we have, the more awe-inspiring the results will be.

In Peace,

— Sunnie