When Dr. Bill Longsworth wrote his book, Seasons of Prayer back in 2006, he had no idea how the words he penned as an Easter prayer some 16 years ago would apply to the existential crisis and global pandemic nightmare we’re all experiencing this Easter Sunday.

When asked to supply a few of his beautifully written and delivered prayers to go along with some nice footage of our church’s sacred spaces to provide some uplifting online content and offer some relief to the 24/7 news cycle of gloom and doom, Bill was happy to comply. He wondered aloud what kinds of prayers would be the right ones — and which kinds of things to focus on within the seemingly endless array of fear, hurt, and need that surrounds us.

As he began to shape his ideas, he remembered his Easter Prayer from that 2006 collection. And, as he has experienced so many times in his life and in his ministry, he knew exactly what to do.

Take a moment now to enjoy how the multifaceted magic of Hans Grim brings Bill’s 2006 inspiration back to the forefront with special and powerful impact for this difficult time — and feel the hope that lies just beneath despair and the joy we can find even amidst our sadness and fear.