Something is Rising

Apr 16, 2025 • Joshua Case

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

– Isaiah 43:19

This week, as steel begins to rise on the construction site at Christ Church, I can’t help but feel the echo of another story unfolding in parallel – the story of Holy Week. On the one hand, we see beams lifted into place, outlines forming where only foundations stood before. On the other, we prepare to enter the final days of Jesus’ earthly life: the upper room, the garden, the cross, and ultimately, the empty tomb.

It strikes me that building anything of lasting meaning takes time, sacrifice, and faith. The steel doesn’t go up overnight. Nor did Easter arrive without the long, hard walk through betrayal, suffering, and silence. And yet – God is always building. Even in the dark.

Through the prophet Isaiah, God says, “I am doing a new thing… now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” That question – do you not perceive it? – feels especially alive right now. Can we perceive what God is doing in us, even as the world feels uncertain? Can we trust that something new is being built – in our hearts, in our relationships, in this church?

Holy Week is not merely a retelling of the past. It is an invitation to walk through the very real places in our lives that need healing, courage, and hope. Like construction, it’s messy. It demands our patience and our presence. But the promise of Easter is not just that Jesus rose – it’s that something is rising in us too.

I hope you’ll join us this week – whether for a service, a quiet moment of prayer, or even a walk across the campus to see the new beams rising. As you do, take a moment to wonder: What might God be building in you? In your life? In this community?

Easter is coming. And friends, something beautiful is being built.

Amen.

_____

Holy Week and Easter Worship Schedule

Maundy Thursday, April 17

7:30 pm Maundy Thursday Eucharist, Foot-Washing, and Stripping of the Altar (Church & Online)

9:00 pm - 9:00 am Prayer Vigil of the Reserved Sacrament (Chapel)

Good Friday, April 18

10:00 am Good Friday: Stations of the Cross for Families*

12:00 Noon Liturgy for Good Friday with Holy Eucharist (Church & Online)

Saturday, April 19

6:00 pm The Great Vigil of Easter With Baptisms (Church & Online)