From the Pastor's Desk
Reverend David Kaul
“ You have turned my wailing into dancing. ”
- Ps. 30:11
Lent and Defining Moments of faith!
Dear friends in Christ,
I have to warn you, I love Irish music. It's a father son thing. My dad and mom were married on St. Patrick's Day at the parsonage. Dad was a talented musician, playing the trombone in famous big bands and Army officer club posts in WW2. He always turned up the radio when the melody to Londonderry Air, "O Danny Boy." was played.
Joan and I recently attended the Friday night "Celtic Women" concert at the Rosemont. We took our seats in the balcony anticipating another wonderful concert by the four Irish female singers, chorus, two percussion players, bagpipe player, pianist, and other talented musicians playing weird Irish instruments. What we could not imagine was the 70 wildly enthusiastic people who filled the orchestra pit. As each number finished, they rose from their seats and gave the Celtic women and musicians a standing ovation! They never missed a song! Whenever a soloist came on stage, she was greeted with a special sign bearing her name and loud introductory cheers. These "boy am I excited to be here" Celtic concert people held up cards that gave the punch lines to each of the girls jokes or stories. The 70 amongst the thousands began to change the concert. The dancing violin player lingered on the stage before them, leapt a little higher and worked extremely hard on each musical run. The Celtic girls smiled and sometimes waved at the end of a song. The percussion players waved from their perch to begin the second half. When the concert concluded with, "You lift me up!" the place went crazy. Then an unusual thing happened. The girls came back out on stage and thanked the 70 "boy am I excited to be here" Celtic concert people and the audience. Then they sang encore after Irish encore, the dancing violin player played and danced to the melody of a familiar Irish jig, the pony tailed and overly muscled percussion players pounded their drums and the crowds heart danced! We exited the building to the sounds of a bagpipe player who had performed for the Pope and at the Olympics.
That's what God had in mind on Easter! He knows that sometimes life is hard like a cross. He wanted you to know how much He loved you and that he always has another surprise up his sleeve, one more thing you could never imagine, one more enthusiastic "I believe in you, you talented person" statement to make. So he raised Jesus from death to life. He could have communicated his power and his love for you in another way but he chose this- a cross, an empty tomb and a son raised to life. The Devil and death made a fatal mistake when they tried to kill this One who cannot die. The flame that burns in this One is eternal. Jesus is Life itself. As we place our trust in him, we receive life. Today is God's gift to you. Life is sacred! Cheer madly or sit on your hands in this grand concert but know that God is with you. My prayer is that God would change your wailing into dancing! Confirmation and Pentecost are straight ahead.
Happy 106, O.S. In His love,
P. Dave