About District 4

Fourth District, Calaveras County, CA

Altaville | Angels Camp | Douglas Flat | Murphys | Vallecito

Easter Sunday Thoughts

Marilyn and I worshipped at Foothill Community Church's Sunrise Service on Easter morning. The 6:30am service was an outdoor celebration of Jesus' resurrection over 2,000 years ago. Yet in the chilly morning, His message of neighborly love still rang profoundly true. Our hymns of praise were in accompaniment to Randy Travis’ album, “Glory Train”. It was a time of reflection and fellowship.

Politics and religion are said to be two subjects not to be discussed in polite company. Obviously I disagree; this being a polite web site. Political discussion is an essential part of our democracy. The free exchange of information about public policy alternatives is fundamental to voters making good ballot decisions. Religion, in my view, is about beliefs and personal decisions. My belief in Jesus Christ is an important part of who I am. Just as my education and experiences have prepared me for public service, so my Bible study and spiritual journey are preparing me for eternal service.

In the United States, the Founding Fathers wisely committed our nation to a separation of church and state. Their European backgrounds gave solemn testimony to bloody costs of religious intolerance by governments. Our Constitutional guarantee of religious freedom is a vital part of American democracy.

My faith is the compass of my ethical and moral decisions. I believe that being called to serve means personally putting Jesus’ commandment to love one another into action. I do not claim any special knowledge or guidance; I will study, pray and confer and I certainly know that I will make mistakes. May they be the errors of the servant, not the master.

Our “sunrise service” did have one minor flaw – no sunrise! This year’s Easter was the earliest in 84 years (calculating the date of Easter is not easy). In addition, we adjusted for Daylight Saving Time. The result: too early for sunrise

As always, please use the "Write Lee" link to share your thoughts.