One of the things that I love to say during children’s sermons on the Sundays following Easter Sunday is “Happy Easter.” I usually get a response of incredulity from one of the children. “It’s not Easter,” they will often say.
Well, it is! And while it is easy to forget that it is a season, Easter often quickly fades away from our memories as we move on in our churchy rituals and our rites of Spring. Far too quickly, we forget that moment when we hear that Christ is Risen.
Unfortunately, Easter that falls this early only leads to people taking an early break from church. It is easy to forget our joy, it is easy to forget that it is Easter. There is much to be done as Easter people as we proclaim the wonder of the resurrection.
On Easter Sunday, I shared a message with you about experiencing Easter like it was the first time. I was encouraging us to think about what it was like for those who first approached the empty tomb and heard that Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified, was not there. If you remember from the Gospel of Matthew, the women who visited the tomb, left with fear and joy.
As Easter people, we are to experience our life as if we are experiencing something for the first time.
Well, it is! And while it is easy to forget that it is a season, Easter often quickly fades away from our memories as we move on in our churchy rituals and our rites of Spring. Far too quickly, we forget that moment when we hear that Christ is Risen.
Unfortunately, Easter that falls this early only leads to people taking an early break from church. It is easy to forget our joy, it is easy to forget that it is Easter. There is much to be done as Easter people as we proclaim the wonder of the resurrection.
On Easter Sunday, I shared a message with you about experiencing Easter like it was the first time. I was encouraging us to think about what it was like for those who first approached the empty tomb and heard that Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified, was not there. If you remember from the Gospel of Matthew, the women who visited the tomb, left with fear and joy.
As Easter people, we are to experience our life as if we are experiencing something for the first time.
On Monday following Easter Morning, we took the kids for an adventure. They had been asking about the falls of Beaver Falls for many months and so we decided to take them to see one of them. I dared not take them to the falls between Beaver Falls and New Brighton, I think that would have disappointed. So we headed to Buttermilk Falls.
I had only seen the sign from the road, so I was completely unaware of what surrounded us. As we made our way past an historic quarry and a stream, our daughter quickly went ahead of us.
In almost a startling voice, she cried out, “Oh my Gosh – come and look at this!” Of course, we quickly made our way up the hillside and discovered what she had already seen. A truly spectacular scene!
A waterfall; God-created, flowing, living, and breathtaking. It was unexpected and truly a joyful experience for all of us.
Hopefully, you are experiencing Easter in the same way. A joyful experience of newness, a resurrection that is God created, living, breathtaking, and wonderful. I hope that you will experience the spring that is being revealed to us each day this week, with newness and joy, and even a bit of fear.
Happy Easter!
Please pray for me, and know that I am praying for you.
Greg
Hopefully, you are experiencing Easter in the same way. A joyful experience of newness, a resurrection that is God created, living, breathtaking, and wonderful. I hope that you will experience the spring that is being revealed to us each day this week, with newness and joy, and even a bit of fear.
Happy Easter!
Please pray for me, and know that I am praying for you.
Greg
4 comments:
It was a magnifient day! Thank you for the great post. It is an excellent connection.
Speaking of connections, that makes me think of jelly beans. If Mike n Mike make jelly beans,(which they do) how can Mike n Ike's BE jelly beans???
Tracy
I dont get it, Tracy!
It is a wonderful place. I went there as a local high school student, and every time we drive past the sign on our way to visit my parents and I think to myself we need to stop one of these times and let Pearl see the falls. Corben hasn't seen it either. Thanks for the reminder to take the time to stop some day.
Way cool! Hope to get there someday; we love hikes in the woods.
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