As I write this look ahead post we are in the heart of what Christians call Holy Week. As such I encourage everyone to attend the services available to them. Below I will list the ones relevant to myself and the fellowship I attend. But before I list those, and the other upcoming events, I wanted to reprint the below article from my Pastor, the Rev. Choong-ho Kwon, which he published March 26, 2018 in the Avondale United Methodist Church newsletter.
Easter Is Not A Memorial Day
There was a world-wide mourning for a great preacher in the week my grandmother passed. I read the newspaper article on Rev. Billy Graham’s funeral service when I was on the way to my grandmother’s funeral. He was a great evangelist. He preached all over the world. I heard 1.1 million Christians gathered when he held the Billy Graham
Crusade in Seoul (June, 1973). My father was one of them who heard his powerful message. I don’t mind calling Billy Graham the John Wesley in the 20th century even though their theological perspectives are different. Their passion for Christ impacted billions of people in the world. Both of them delivered the message of new hope and transformation of life in Christ. The main theme of their message didn’t miss the resurrection of Christ. They believed Easter has the power of transformation.
Jesus called ordinary people and made them as his disciples. Even though Jesus was their teacher and minister, their discipleship was not successful. They were stubborn. They were never changed when he was with them. The dramatic change happened after his resurrection. When the disciples experienced the power and hope of God through his
resurrection, they became true disciples. Their lives were transformed. They also changed the world.
Easter is not a memorial day. Church is not a memorial chapel where we remember just what Jesus and his disciples did for us. The church is called to become the body of Christ which continues his ministry of transformation. Easter proclaims that God’s love gives us new hope and changes us. Christians who hear that message can experience that his
love makes an impact on their lives and God is with them in the darkest
valley they walk.
I give thanks to God for another Easter. We’ll celebrate this season of hope together this Sunday. I pray Easter becomes a new beginning of transformation for our church as well as our life.
In Christ,
Choongho Kwon
Maundy Thursday
is today, March 29. Avondale United Methodist Church will have its services at 7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary.
Good Friday
is March 30. Avondale United Methodist Church is one of the local Methodist churches joining together at North Cross United Methodist Church for a combined service at 7:30 p.m.
Avondale UMC’s annual Easter Egg Hunt
is Saturday, March 31, 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. in Wesley Hall and the Education Wing.
Easter
Is Sunday, April 1. This year Ash Wednesday shared Valentines Day on Feb. 14, and Easter is sharing April Fool’s Day on April 1. A gathering of Northland churches is having a sunrise service at 6:45 a.m. at Bethel United Church of Christ, 4900 NE Parvin Road, KCMO. Avondale UMC will be participating. AUMC will then have worship services at 8:30 and 10:50 a.m., with the latter service including music from the Cathedral Choir and brass ensemble.
Worlds of Fun opens
Worlds of Fun will be opening for the season on April 21.
Songflower Chorale Spring Concert
April 29 the Songflower Chorale will be performing its spring concert, featuring many classic choral works of the past several centuries, along with a recent work by its renowned director Geoff Wilcken, along with three world premiers of choral works composed by music composition students at Kansas University, Lawrence, KS.
Please note: If anyone has events they think should be featured on this events list, please send me the information for my consideration and inclusion.
At The Rainbow 