April/May News – Vol. 71, No. 3

Let Us Celebrate that Easter is Not About the Date!

The liturgical and calendar date of Easter is designated as the first Sunday after the paschal (Passover) full moon which falls on March 21… the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, the Autumnal Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere.

But obviously, Easter is not about this date.

Easter is God bringing new creation out of that which is void and empty. Easter is God raising new life out of death. Easter is the pattern of all that exists: Life-Death-New Life. Easter is the mystery of faith: Christ has died. Christ is Risen. Christ comes again.

Easter is God’s grace picking us up when we cannot get up on our own. Easter is God making a new pathway for us when no way forward seems to exist.

And this can happen any day, anytime… and does happen somewhere all the time… just not all the time for any single person or living thing! And so, the date of Easter Sunday and the following weeks of Eastertide may or may not be experienced as Easter for any particular one of us.

There may instead be those among us (and innumerable ones beyond us) who are in the thick of distress and death in all its myriad forms. Which means that the particular days of April 9, 2023 and following will not be joyful for them in any way.

And yet, we will nonetheless open a tiny space in our hearts, exactly for them, praying that they will also be able to open a tiny space in their hearts for Easter to come for them… when it will!

Because we know first-hand that Easter is not about the date, but about the love and power of God to raise us to new life. When has Easter come? When is Easter coming? When will it come again?

For each of us, for Compton and for the world, may there be a little more joy that brings a little more hope in just thinking about it!

Easter Blessings, Steve

Prayers of the Community

Please hold in prayer: Walt T., Penny and Howard M., Courtney H., Joan J. for her aunt Adeline in hospice care; Diane R’s mother and her cousin Mona, DebE M.’s friend Sheila, Marsha M.’s nephew, Trey W., Matt W. in the loss of his grandfather Bobbly Walton; Leslie L.’s parents; Carolyn H.’s sister; We Also pray for: An end to fighting in Ukraine; an end to gun violence in the USA; all who have been killed, injured and driven from their homes to refuge in other countries. Those affected by extreme weather events. Everyone struggling with loneliness, depression and isolation. All who grieve the loss of loved ones. Anyone experiencing pain and alienation: may you know that God loves ALL of us.

Coffee Hour News : Volunteers Needed!

Coffee time following worship service is a time for us to have conversation, reconnect with one another, and fellowship with each other. We are looking for volunteers to help sustain this ministry. Anyone who would like to volunteer and be one of the coffee hosts and/or to provide the snacks for coffee time, please sign up on sheets on the doors to the library or contact Marsha McGuire. There are separate sheets, one to be coffee host – to prepare coffee and set up the room etc. and a separate sheet to provide snacks. If you are willing to do both, be sure to sign up on both sheets. After June, will will have 5 coffee time hosts, we would like to have 8-9 coffee hosts so that each volunteer would be only be providing snacks once every couple of months.

Around Compton Heights

Building Assessment: Jim Michel of Church Extension conducted an assessment of our building on February 14. We anticipate getting his report and suggestions in May.

Search Committee: Five members have been named to the Search Committee for our settled minister. They are Leslie Latham, Marcia Hendrix, Darrell Hughes, Rev. Becky Klemme-Elicieri, and Orion Peterson. We will be hearing soon about what the search process entails. Keep them in prayer!

Mission News and Opportunities

Volunteer Contact needed

Cornerstone Center for Early Learning is located at the corner of 39th Street and Russell Blvd in the Shaw neighborhood. When Cornerstone was started, it was housed in our building, Compton Heights Christian Church. At that time, it was named Helping Hand. Compton Heights has had a connection with Cornerstone since it began. Karen Lucy, Director at Cornerstone, would like some contact persons at Compton Heights that are interested in continuing this community connection between Compton Heights and Cornerstone continues in the future. Please contact Marsha McGuire if you are interested in being a contact person.

Bag of Blessings for Isaiah 58 Ministries

Please bring these to the baskets at back of the Sanctuary on Sundays

All fruit and vegetable suggestions are to be canned and, if possible, low sodium and/or in their own juice.

May

Canned Chicken, Rice; Flour (2#bags) Sugar (1#bags); Toothbrush, toothpaste; Laundry detergent, 50 oz or smaller.

Mid-America Region

Mid-America Disciples Women will meet on Zoom on Saturday, April 22 at 9 a.m. All women are welcome. For a link to the meeting, send an e-mail to Coordinator Jennifer Long

Summer Camp Enrollment is now open! Scholarships are available and volunteer counselors are still needed! For information visit our Regional website.

For news about other groups and churches in Mid-America, sign up for the Weekly newsletter by contacting Susan Moore.

April:MayFinalPdf

General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

What is General Assembly? It is a gathering of Disciples from all around the country and all around the world for five days of worship, speakers, workshops, meals, service projects, business and fellowship. The schedule of gathering every two years was interrupted by Covid, but now we are back on track. Our congregation will be able to send a couple of voting representatives, but anyone can attend. There will be activities for children and youth also.

Registration remains open until the start of Assembly. To learn about the schedule and register, please visit ga.disciples.org