The sound is the anticipation of celebrating another “Easter SON Rise” service with believers in our community. Yes, I know many of us have just begun the journey into the fasting of another Lenten season, but let the joy of celebrating the soon coming Resurrection Sunday morning flood your soul. Last year we were blessed by over 300 of our friends, neighbors and those visiting our city coming together at Yett Park for the community-wide “Easter SON Rise” service. Remember the expectation of getting up early to join others in our community, whose journey of faith brought us together as one. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy and thank God our Father, for all the differences in His and our families. It puts the creativity of our God on display. At the same time, there is nothing like being part of a gathering that looks like heaven on earth. All our diversity gathered in unity around the Resurrected Christ. Jesus is Lord! Amen.

We are hoping all of you who attended last year will invite and bring at least one person with you to this year’s “Easter SON Rise” service. One invitation could transform a life. Invite someone who has never been to an “Easter SON Rise” service. Invite someone who has stopped attending church. Invite someone who would never attend church. Invite your best friend or your worst enemy. Invite your favorite relative or your strangest one. Invite your pastor, priest, clergy, worship or choir leader, worship team or choir, invite everyone but bring someone. One invitation could transform a life and one transformed life could transform a family. One transformed family could transform our community. Our transformed community could transform our state and our transformed state could transform our nation and our transformed nation could transform our world. And it all starts with the invite of one life!

This year we are excited that Stephen Mackey, the Greater Hill Country Area Director of Young Life, will be bringing the “Easter SON Rise” message. Young Life Club is a meeting of High School students and their leaders, and serves both as an opportunity to relax and spend time with friends and to learn about Christianity. Stephen is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Christian Studies from Trinity Evangelical Seminary and ordination through the United Methodist Church. Stephen and his wife Teressa, who is Director of the local WyldLife, are expecting their first child in May. WyldLife is the middle school program of Young Life, a non-denominational, Christian organization that reaches out to the youth in our community.

We will send out more information as we approach the “Easter SON Rise” service at Yett Park on Sunday, April 8.