Three characteristics have described The American Association of Lutheran Churches: CONFESSING, CARING, and CALLING.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
As we gather in the joy of this Easter season, I bring you greetings from The American Association of Lutheran Churches.
The empty tomb stands at the center of our faith. When Mary Magdalene and the other women arrived early that first Easter morning, they found not death but life. The stone was rolled away not so Jesus could get out, but so we could look in and see that death had been defeated.
In the resurrection of Christ Jesus, we see God's definitive answer to the brokenness of our world. The resurrection isn't merely a happy ending to a sad story—it's the beginning of a new creation. As Luther reminds us, through the resurrection, Christ "has opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers."
In a world dominated by uncertainty and fear, Easter proclaims certainty and hope. Christ's victory over death isn't just a historical event but a present reality that transforms our lives today. Through baptism, we have been united with Christ in His death and resurrection. As Paul writes, "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."
This Easter season, I invite you to reflect on what it means to live as resurrection people. How does the reality of the empty tomb change how we face our daily challenges? How does it reshape our understanding of suffering and hope? How does it empower us to serve our neighbors with Christ-like love?
Dear friends, the message of Easter isn't just that Jesus rose—it's that because He lives, we too shall live. Whatever struggles you face today, whatever burdens you carry, know that you serve a risen Savior who has overcome sin, death, and the world.
May the peace of the risen Christ fill your hearts this Easter season, and may the Holy Spirit empower you to share the good news of resurrection with a world in desperate need of hope.
In the name of our crucified and risen Lord, amen.
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Rev. Dr. Cary G. Larson
Presiding Pastor
The American Association of Lutheran Churches
