by Lilly Lewin
Jesus’s death and then resurrection changes everything for his followers.
Even though Jesus warned them what was going to happen, that he would be handed over to the authorities and arrested and killed, I’m not sure they really believed him …they were still fighting over who would be greatest in the Kingdom.
They weren’t really prepared for the resurrection. Maybe you weren’t either.
The kingdom wasn’t coming the way they thought!
They thought they would have longer with Jesus!
They wished they’d taken better notes on all he said!
Why didn’t we listen more carefully?
So now what? What do we do now ?
Jesus appears to them.
Jesus isn’t dead!
Jesus is inviting them to think and live in a different way.
Resurrection is now a way to Live! And Easter is still happening!
Have we already forgotten?
Have we gotten busy and put away the Easter baskets and gone on to the next thing?
I love that the Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter this weekend! It gives us all a
chance to remember that the Resurrection happened and we get to celebrate again! I’m really excited because I spent Easter Sunday in bed with a sinus infection and had to cancel all the things I’d planned, even our thinplace worship gathering.
It’s great to have a second Sunday to experience Easter, especially those of us who work on Easter Sunday! People in ministry don’t always get to experience Easter in the midst of helping others experience the wonder. Or if we are working outside the church, we might not have felt it was Easter at all, or maybe life just happened and Easter didn’t.
The Good News is: It’s still Easter!
The Season of Easter, Eastertide…it’s truly not just one day, or even two, it
lasts until Pentecost which is June 9th this year.
So what would help you remember Easter in the coming days?
Here are some Ideas to help you “keep Easter” going!
1. Find a rock that will represent the stone that was in front of Jesus’s tomb. Each day hold it in your hand and remember that the stone is rolled away. death has been defeated. the whole earth is filled with resurrection. And remember, you have this life in you!
2. Clean up trash around the neighborhood or help a neighbor with yard work or a home repair. Bring resurrection and a bit of hope to your block.
3. Plant flowers. Inside or out. or Buy some potted bulbs and watch them bloom. Allow the growth to remind you of New Life!
4. Go on a picnic and lay on a blanket and look at the sky. Watch the clouds, pay attention to the sounds around you allow God to speak to you through nature…clouds, wind, sounds of the birds.
5. Visit a sick or shut friend, or give them a call. You could also make cards or cookies to mail to them if they are out of town or out of your neighborhood.
6. Take an hour and turn off all social media, and media in general, and take time to read the resurrection account from one of gospels. You might even use the Bible Gateway app and listen to the passage being read to you. Place yourself in the story as you read or listen. What do you notice? What surprises you? After you finish reading just sit with the passage. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you.
7. Pray daily for the needs of the World. Remembering the more than 300 people who died in Sri Lanka, Refugees around the world, the migrant families on our border. You can use a news app on your phone or even twitter to help you pray through the headlines and events of the day. Pray that people will have eyes to see the hope of God and that the power of Resurrection and the new life of Easter will be present in these places.
8. Join in an Orthodox Easter celebration this weekend or take time to learn more about Eastern Orthodox Easter practices.
9. Join The Awe and Wonder Easter Challenge with Christine. Planning ways to notice wonder and practice it daily.
10. And finally, was there something that you missed this Lent or this Easter day? Something that you might have wanted to do to celebrate the season or something you just didn’t get a chance to do, see, or experience? Plan a time to do this with yourself, your friends or your family. It could be something like making cookies or a special dessert, or sending an Easter card to a friend. Or it might be something bigger like hosting A Seder, or a foot washing, or praying the stations of the cross. Just google your local Catholic Church to find some stations to pray.
Just because the stores have moved on to the next holiday, doesn’t mean you have to do the same. Remember that the Easter season goes till June 9th, you’ve got lots of time. Keep celebrating and experiencing Easter and Keep sharing the Gift of New Life and Resurrection with the world!
©lillylewin and ©freerangeworship.com