Newsletter

“He is Risen! – It’s Gotta Matter!”

04-09-2021NewsletterTom Pivonka, Provisional Coordinator

I think the biggest thing that I have missed due to my being forced to work from home due to COVID has been listening to Air 1 or K-Love radio my drive to and from work. My commute from my bedroom to my office is much shorter and really doesn’t offer much time to get in my Christian Music fix.

A couple of months ago I splurged on an Alexa Dot, and this has allowed me to get back into my daily music. Depending on my what I am working on, I either listen to contemporary Christian music, or classical music.

Any time that I am working on a talk, preparing to lead a gathering, or now, a letter to the body, my antennae go up when I listen to Christian music. The Holy Spirit frequently speaks to me through lyrics. In the past month I was really touched by two specific songs: My Testimony by Elevation Worship; and God of this City by Chris Tomlin. Although these are two different songs, the parts that really jumped out at me are very similar:

My Testimony:

  • Come together sons and daughters, bought with blood and washed in water, sing the praises of the Spirit, Son, and Father.
  • Our God will finish what He Started
  • If I’m not dead, you’re not done, Greater things are still to come!

God of this City:

  • You’re the God of this city, you’re the king of these people you the Lord of this nation, you are.
  • You’re the light in this darkness, you’re the hope in the hopeless, you’re the peace to the restless, you are.
  • For Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city.

Both of these songs are very powerful to me individually, and I believe speak to us us as a Body. This past year has been so difficult for so many of us, yet even in the middle of it, the blessings continue to pour down on us.

On Sunday our family went to Easter Mass at the Newman Center. It was such a blessing. The Mass was so close to pre-COVID. We actually greeted each other prior to Mass starting, and offered the Sign Peace, real life human touch, not just a nod of the head. It was a joy to experience again, and it gave me a glimpse of hope and light.

The homily was so good, I actually grabbed my phone and took notes. The priest pointed out:

  • The resurrection is about God’s LOVE, not His power
  • Faith or fear, what drives you?
  • God wants to tell us: My love is greater than your fear.
  • Jesus reminded us that we will do greater things than He did, if only we have faith.
  • His love needs to transform us.
  • Our faith grows as we trust.
  • We are ok, because he loves us, no because of anything we have done.

Now I want to return to the title that I have given this letter. If we truly believe in the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus, our lives have to be different because of it. Otherwise it is nothing more than a historical fact. Daily my life needs to witness to the fact that God’s love was made incarnate.

God Bless, Tom

P.S. – as many of you know, I am passionate about Gonzaga Basketball. Last night my heart was crushed when we lost in the championship. In the grand scheme of things, I know that there are greater things going on than Gonzaga Basketball, but still it brings my family joy when they do well, so collectively we were pretty low last night. As God so often does, he meets us where we are. This morning the bible verse that Alexa read to me: Do not be sad, for My joy is your strength. (Neh 8:10). See, the Lord wants to enter fully into our world, and nothing is beyond His notice!

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