It was a fantastic Easter Sunday at my church. Energetic worship. Warm fellowship. My congregation even honored me with a generous gift to mark my 7-year anniversary, which happened to coincide with this April-Fools-Easter-Sunday. Without doubt, it’s my privilege to serve among these people in this place as together we seek ways that we can respond faithfully to the love and grace of our Risen Lord.

Today’s gospel lesson (Mark 16:1-8) offers Mark’s account of that first Easter Sunday; and it includes these words from the young man/angel dressed in white: “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'” (verses 6-7)

Jesus still “goes ahead of us into Galilee.” And so, for the next week, I’ll be taking a little time to seek Him in ways other than the daily composition of this reflection. “In the Office” will return. But for now, may you live with the hope-filled and expectant awareness that “the Truth is out there,” and we will see Him — if only we’re willing to keep our hearts open.