May 2026 | Spring Cleaning

There are so many signs of Spring—robins returning, trees beginning to bloom, grass that is turning greener, bulbs that have blossomed, occasional warm breezes, and beautiful, long awaited sunshine (YAY!!)

As I was looking out of my window recently, enjoying the sunshine that I’ve missed for months, I noticed something else about Spring that sprang up within me...a desire to do some spring cleaning! Because filtering the sunshine were little fingerprints—and even nose prints—from my grandchildren who had just visited...as well as a layer of grime on the outside after the winter months of keeping the windows shut tight against the cold. The sunshine didn’t just make me smile or bring warmth to my home—it revealed some cleaning that needed to be done.

God’s light works in much the same way. God’s love makes us smile. God’s care warms us. And God’s presence gently reveals areas within us that need attention—perhaps with a deep “spring cleaning”.   Not in a condemning way, but in a way that draws attention and even inspires within us a desire for God to spruce up the home of our lives.

God’s light shines into the house of our soul, and sometimes what it reveals is a little uncomfortable. We may have smudges on the windows of our perspective that are preventing us from seeing clearly. We may have some sin, like dirty baseboards that need to be wiped down, but we haven’t done it because we keep telling ourselves that no one will notice. We may be holding onto baggage from the past, like a stuffed closet loaded with items we haven't worn in years, leaving no room for what God would want to do now. Or we may have collected a pile of excuses for why we can’t change, like that one drawer that seems to gather everything and never gets cleaned out—the “junk drawer” (and we all have one).

But spring cleaning isn’t just about seeing what’s dirty, messy, broken or needing to be changed. It’s about making space for something fresh. We open everything up to let the fresh air move through, and we begin to freshen up and renew our spaces.

In the life of faith, we aren’t left alone with a lengthy “to-do list.” Right now, we are in a season of Eastertide—a time when we remember that God not only reveals what needs to change, but also brings new life. Through the power of the resurrection, God is actively renewing us, shaping us, and creating space within us for grace, peace, and purpose.  God inspires, equips, and empowers us to journey into the fresh, new life God wants for us.

In the days after Jesus’ resurrection, people encountered him and found that everything was being made new. In the Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene stood outside the tomb, overwhelmed with grief—until Jesus called her by name, and she was suddenly able to see clearly. In the Gospel of Luke, two disciples walked along the road, carrying confusion and disappointment—until their eyes were opened and their hearts burned with new understanding. Resurrection didn’t just change what they believed—it changed how they saw, what they carried, and how they lived, as God created new life within them. And the same is true for us.

Spring cleaning in our lives isn’t about scrubbing harder or trying to make ourselves perfect. It’s about allowing God to gently clear what no longer belongs, so that something new can take its place. It’s about releasing what we’ve been holding onto, healing what’s been hidden away, and opening up space for grace, peace, and purpose. Because resurrection power through Jesus Christ isn’t just about an empty tomb. It’s about our lives being made new—again and again. And thankfully, God’s renewal is much more thorough and far more loving than anything we would try to do on our own. God is with us in the process—in the noticing, in the letting go, and in creating something new within us. And God also designed for believers to experience that renewal together in community as we gather, reflect, pray, encourage one another, and share God Moments along the way into the new life God is creating among us. 

So, as we move through this Easter season together, consider:
· Where is God gently shining light into your life?
· What is God inviting you to release?
· What new thing might God be making space for within you, and among our church family?

May we be a people who not only welcome the light, but trust what God is doing in it. I’m looking forward with gratitude and anticipation to the fresh new work God is doing among us.   
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Peace and Grace,
Pastor Sherry