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Dear San Marco Church Family: Today is Good Friday, the day to commemorate Jesus’ crucifixion, suffering and death for for the salvation of humanity. There is deep meaning in Jesus’ cry of dereliction, when he cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus, God incarnate, is experiencing the abandonment and despair of separation from the source of life itself. By experiencing this abandonment, Jesus reminds us that there is no human experience, no matter how painful, with which he is not able to identify and understand. God is able to heal the deepest human despair by being present within the despair. We say in the creed that he “descended into hell”, and in so doing he conquered death itself. I invite you to a time of solemn reflection between now and Sunday. Think about the struggles in your own life, and consider that God is present in your worry, your agony, your feeling of being betrayed and your loneliness. Because of Jesus, God understands our fickle human hearts and chooses to love us in the deepest way possible. We are never alone, and we are never hopeless when we trust in Christ. As we come to worship on Easter Sunday, we have the opportunity to alleviate human suffering. As Bryan shared last Sunday, San Marco Church is collecting various items for our neighbors in Cuba. (We are partnering with the Action for Cuba Committee). Colleen and I have both traveled to Cuba and seen first hand the lack of basic resources. The situation has gotten worse in the past few months because of sanctions that have caused widespread power outages, affecting hospitals and schools. We will collect supplies Sunday, and the list includes various medical supplies such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, reading glasses, and vitamins. (See the full list of items needed below). We will collect all the items and a caravan will load the supplies and take them to Miami on April 11, and from there they will head to Cuba. The Easter message Sunday will be based upon Matthew 28: 1-10. I encourage you to read the passage and pray for our worship team prior to worship Sunday. The message is entitled “Fear and Great Joy.” Friends, I consider it an honor to serve San Marco Church for my second Easter. I sense God’s Spirit at work among us, and it brings me joy to serve with all of you. See you Sunday! Steve Hart
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