Refill with Randy – Easter provides opportunity to refresh, reconnect

By Randy LeBaron

Good morning! Grab your favorite cup. Fill it up. And let’s start this week right… TOGETHER!!!

This Sunday (Palm Sunday) is the beginning of Holy Week which caps off Lent, leads into Easter, and focuses on the the passion of the Christ. I know that not everyone celebrates Easter, some are preparing for Passover which is only a month away, but for me as a Christian pastor this is the climax of the Christian calendar. It is also, as I have found, a great time to connect with others in the community.

Over the past 6 weeks I have enjoyed gathering with others from different churches and different backgrounds at the Lenten Lunches offered in Albion and Medina. Not only do I like to fellowship with others in the community who I do not get a chance to see on a regular basis, but it is the one time of year that I am pretty much guaranteed to get a delicious egg salad sandwich. Even if you don’t celebrate Lent you have probably partaken of a Friday Night Fish Fry with friends or family. Even as I write this, I am realizing how much this season of fasting is actually centered around food, but I digress.

The point I am trying to make is that there are plenty of opportunities for people to come together during this time and it only multiplies during holy week. Most churches will have their own Palm Sunday and Easter morning services, we meet @10 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Medina in case you are looking for somewhere to go, but there are other occasions to connect with those outside of your immediate circle on Good Friday and Easter morning.

Last year I participated for the first time in the MAAC Cross Walk where I was one of many who took turns carrying a cross around Medina while pausing at different spots to read the Scriptural account of Jesus’ journey to Golgotha. It was interesting last year because just before we were about to start a fire broke out filling the area with smoke which caused us to reroute. Thankfully the first responders on scene did a good job containing it so after praying for the safety of all involved we began our walk. If you are interested, we will be doing it again at noon this Good Friday starting at the Medina City Hall.

Good Friday is also a great time to gather with other churches and denominations in order to reflect on the cross and look ahead to the empty tomb. For the past decade I have been a part of the P.A.C.T. Good Friday Service where hundreds come together to worship and share in Communion. Personally, this is one of my favorite and most anticipated events each year. If you would like to join us it is at the Oak Orchard Assembly of God Church @ 6:30 p.m. on March 29.

Lastly, another thing I was able to experience for the first time last year was Easter Sunrise Service at Boxwood Cemetery in Medina. A little over 40 of us joined together on a cold, windy day to sing a few songs and hear a short message in what turned out to be a beautiful, serene setting. If you are an early bird we will be gathering there again at 7 a.m. this Easter morning.

See you in two weeks!
Pastor Randy