Calling us by name...
What a wonderful Easter celebration in worship yesterday. It was truly a blessed time of gathering together as God's people to celebrate our risen Savior. Thank you all for being a part of it. Our focus yesterday in worship was on John 20:1-18 as Jesus appeared to Mary of Magdala in the garden. It was in Jesus calling her by name that Mary recognized her Savior standing before her. We talked in worship yesterday about how Jesus continues to call us by name as he called those in the Gospels and in Acts.
One of the exercises in worship was us writing our names and putting them in the offering plate as an act of reminding us of that calling to each one of us.
I took those sheets (about 300 of them) and put them together in this picture (courtesy of wordle.net). Click the image for a larger version. (note there are a few names missing as I could not read the handwriting on some of the names...)
This is a picture of our gathered community yesterday. This is a picture of who God has called by name in this place to be Jesus' witnesses in Wyoming and communities beyond. This is the "cloud of witnesses" gathered in this place. May we each remember that calling that we have in wherever we are and in whatever we do. Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Hallelujah!