Bill Utterback, who writes the posts you read here, is currently in the hospital. Pastor Hannah was able to visit Bill today and is in touch with his family. He is in the ICU and the next 24 to 48 hours will be critical. We should all know by now that Bill is a prayer warrior, and he needs our prayer to help him through his battle with COVID. Each month, he’s been writing an article for the newsletter called “Sunset Prayers.” Below is what Bill wrote for April, asking us to be in prayer at sunset on April 4. Let’s follow Bill’s example by lifting him in prayer at sunset (and throughout the day).

Many of us spent the Lenten season drawing closer to Jesus as he moved through the Gospel of John. Pastor Hannah’s messages were rooted in John’s words. We had several growth groups exploring the Gospel of John.  Our children’s messages and weekly letters to our youth were centered on the Gospel of John.

Much of our exploration was based on Adam Hamilton’s book, “John, The Gospel of Light and Love.”

Hamilton, in his conclusion, puts great emphasis on John’s description of Jesus, resurrected, appearing to Mary Magdalene in a garden near the empty tomb.  She believes Jesus is a gardener. Hamilton links the moment on Easter morning to the garden God created and shared with Adam and Eve in Genesis.

“… perhaps God the gardener, who took on flesh in Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection, has gone about setting the world right. He has come to repair the garden.”

“But God’s work was only begun in Jesus’ resurrection. We live in a world afflicted with violence, materialism, deception and worse.  There’s work yet to be done. This is why, on the night the risen Christ finally appeared to his disciples, he breathed on them and said, ‘As the father sent me, I am sending you.’ (John 20:21).”

“What Jesus began, we’re meant to complete.”

As we gather to raise a sunset prayer for April, on Easter Sunday, the very evening Christ appeared to his disciples, we can lift a prayer volunteering for more work in His garden. Lord, show us, as individuals and as a church, how we can continue your mission. Breathe on us.

On Easter Sunday, as the sun sets at around 7:48 p.m., from wherever you are, with whomever wants to join you, join us in lifting a prayer as a church family and community. Perhaps you pray from a garden, or with a favorite garden in mind.

Hamilton, in his conclusion, writes that “Jesus spent very little time teaching people about heaven. Most of what he taught was about how we should live to create a bit of heaven here on earth.”

“Our work is to follow Jesus in restoring the garden.  That means every day we are on a mission. Every morning we wake and say, “Here I am, Lord. Send me!” Every conversation we have, every decision we make, every action we take is an opportunity for God’s kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven.”

I love Hamilton’s “on earth …” reference to The Lord’s Prayer.  Perhaps, as we conclude our sunset prayer on Easter evening, we can each lift the Lord’s Prayer.

This is the prayer Hamilton wrote to finish his book:  “May I, like Mary Magdalene and those first witnesses to the resurrection, be filled with your light and life.  Amen.”

Allow me to suggest using “May we” if you lift Hamilton’s prayer. Let’s pray for each other to be filled with His light and life.