Empowered Witness: Raise Up! 

In this Easter season we proclaim that Christ is risen, and resurrection is unfolding among us! 

And in our upcoming reading this week from the book of Acts, Paul walks through Athens and is deeply moved by what he sees. He notices the spiritual longing woven into the city’s life. He sees the altars, the searching, and the belonging with God they are searching for. And into that longing, Paul speaks of a God who is not far off, not contained in temples or systems, but a living presence who “is not far from each one of us.” In Christ, God meets the world not with fear, but with nearness. 

Fear and division can often feel louder than hope. In big and small ways, we diminish life and compassion often feels fragile. And yet, Easter refuses that narrative. Resurrection sends us into the world as people who can bear witness to the suffering around us while also boldly witnessing Christ make all things new. 

This is the heart of our theme, Empowered Witness. The Spirit does not call us to passive belief, but to active presence: courage, compassion, and conviction shaped by love. There are days when the needs of the world feel so immense that I don’t know where to begin. When compassion feels thin, and I wonder if anything I say or do really matters. But the Resurrection doesn’t ask us to be perfect. Paul’s witness reminds us that we are invited into curiosity and transformation through God. 

This Sunday, we will embody that truth in a special way as we celebrate Confirmation Sunday at our 10:30 service. We will affirm the baptismal promises of our confirmation students, naming together that they belong to God and to this community. It is a moment of joy and also commissioning. In our baptismal promises, all of us are sent into a world that deeply needs faithful, grounded witnesses. 

May we be a people who notice what God is already doing in the world around us and who have the courage, by the Spirit, to speak life. 

Check out my song of the week to go along with the text! Raise Up by SEMLER 

Peace, 

Pastor Katie