Anticipation in April!
 

“April showers bring May flowers!” So goes the common bit of folk wisdom often heard thismonth. Scholars of English literature trace those words to the slightly longer phrase of Thomas Tusser, who wrote “Sweet April showers do spring May flowers” in his 1557 poem “A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry.” Of course, the idea shows up as early as The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the late 1300s (it was still unfinished when he died in 1400). Chaucer wrote, “Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced tothe roote, And bathed every veyne in swich licour Of which vertu engendred is the flour…” Oh, sorry, that’s Middle English. Today, he would have written, “When the sweet showers of April have pierced The drought of March, and pierced it to the root, And every vein is bathed in that moisture Whose quickening force will engender the flower…” Even that old grump, T.S. Eliot, saw the promise in April when he wrote (in 1922), “April is the cruelest month breeding lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain.” We Christians of 21st century America have our own journey of anticipation in April, as we push through the final weeks of Lent toward Easter. Our time of solemn reflection on the end of Jesus’ earthly journey turns to the joy of resurrection. The “winter” in our hearts is replaced with “spring” – did you know that the word “Lent” comes from an old English word for Spring? Because I believe in keeping the love of God ever in our minds, we’ve been sprinkling Good News in with the solemnity this Lent and we’ll continue to do so. We’ll continue our study of the Apostles’ Creed with a look at forgiveness; we’ll combine our look at Palm Sunday with the joyous occasion of confirmation for Marshall Bedell and Andrea (AJ) Brown; we’ll celebrate “The Third Day” on Easter itself; and then look more at resurrection and life everlasting on the final Sunday of the month. We’ll also have special services with our Twin Cities friends on April 6 & 13, and with our DeSoto friends on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. We will make note of the darkness in the story of Jesus’ passion, while always remembering that Jesus’ story ends in light, life, and love.

Now, THAT’S worth anticipating! Even worth a little rain…

Rev. M. Christopher Boyer