Category: News

Last month, Pastor Laura Glover started collecting stories, testimonials and votes for resident’s favorite hymns. 150 different hymns were nominated but these 10 came out as the favorites.

1. Amazing Grace
2. How Great Thou Art
3. Great Is Thy Faithfulness
4. In the Garden
5. It Is Well With My Soul
6. Because He Lives
7. He Touched Me
8. The Old Rugged Cross
9. O How I Love Jesus
10. Jesus Loves Me

“Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!” Luke 24:5-6

My favorite hymn is He Lives! I have wonderful memories of joyously singing this hymn on Easter Sunday mornings with my children. Rather than look for Easter eggs, we would wake up and run around the backyard shouting “He lives! He lives!” and singing this hymn.

That is one of the great things about this hymn; it is a joyous proclamation of a life-changing truth. Jesus lives, and because he lives, everything is changed. Death has no power over us for in the resurrection, Jesus defeated death for us all and offers us eternal life. Sometimes we can go through our days feeling burdened and overwhelmed much like the women who arrived at the tomb with their heads cast down on Easter morning. On days like that, I can hear Jesus asking me, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?” The Jesus who rose from the tomb defeating death is still alive and will defeat any other burden or challenge I may face if I only put my trust in Him. “He lives!” and that makes all the difference in my attitude, in my day, and in my life.

The other thing that I love about this hymn is how personal it is. “He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way… You ask me how I know He lives. He lives within my heart!” I know Jesus lives not because of what I was taught in Sunday school, or heard in sermons, or learned in seminary. I know Jesus lives because I feel His presence with me every moment. I see Him at work in the world and in my life through the Holy Spirit. My relationship with Christ is a personal one, and like all meaningful relationships, it is one that I must treasure and tend carefully every day. He lives! That changes everything for me, so I will joyously sing that Good News for the world so that others might know for themselves the gift of abundant life that is Jesus Christ. — Chaplain Laura

“Because He Lives” are powerful words to me. I could simply say it’s a favorite hymn because of the title. I remind myself every day — well, I try to — that a living Christ is always among us. God has created Kingdom on earth for us to live, breathe, love, and learn, to experience joy in our lives with our families, with one another, and with all creation. That means living peacefully and graciously with one another and taking care of our planet.
I believe that which God has created, God expects us to care for, nurture, and love. Should God have expectations of us? Some might say no, it is not required. I would say absolutely yes. If you want to feel the fullness of God’s grace, let God know of your gratitude for the gift of the Holy Spirit, left for each of us through the promise of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Every generation has experienced something which required people to fight, conquer, and survive. It seems as though we have endless wars somewhere in the world. Most recently the world has had to battle a lethal virus called Covid-19 which is still lingering in many places including the United States. Because we know He lives, we can have the calm assurance that we can indeed prevail through uncertain times. Because He lives, we can face all the tomorrows without fear.
Because He lives, the Holy Spirit keeps working within us, and every day that we acknowledge He lives is a day of joy in our hearts. God indeed is in control, counting on us to be His marketing disciples. How? Bellowing or softly expounding, “Because He Lives,” we too live in his grace and glory.
— Rev. Marilyn Williams