Easter people

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

"Easter Nativity" set available here

How were your Easter celebrations this year? Subdued, perhaps. A little lonelier than usual? Fewer dishes to wash, a quieter house. We were grateful for the sunshine and spent some time outside, hiding and finding eggs again and again. I made it to the grocery store on Monday morning for the first time in two weeks, so our Easter dinner was Monday evening, and we hope to dye eggs with Wade sometime this week.

Our delays in Easter activities are equal parts a) the disadvantage of being a double-clergy family during the busiest church week of the year, and b) this whole global pandemic thing. But really, at least on the church calendar, our Easter celebrations have just begun! 

Much like our celebration of Christmas begins on December 25, our celebration of Easter begins on Easter Day and extends for fifty days, until the Day of Pentecost (May 31 this year). During these 50 days (ten days longer than the 40 day fast of Lent!) we continue to proclaim "Alleluia!" and decorate our sanctuary with the white paraments of festival days.

Even beyond these 50 days of Easter celebrations, however, we remember that, in fact, every Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection! We are an Easter people, and it is the crucified and risen Lord who is at the center of our worship and our life together.

What does it mean to be an Easter people? A few things: It's about rejoicing. Our Easter proclamation is "Alleluia!" which means "Praise God!" ("Hallelujah" is Hebrew, and "Alleluia" is the Greek variant). We praise God for raising Jesus, and for the promise that we will be raised as well. We praise God for the promise that Jesus will seek us out and be with us always.

It's also a little bit defiant. We say, in the words of 1 Corinthians 15:55, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" Death is defeated and it is God who is victorious. Life wins! Love wins! We are not afraid of death, because we know that not even death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Freed from this fear, we are free to love and serve our neighbors. We share the good news of God's never-failing love, and the promise of resurrection and abundant life even now.

How might you continue to celebrate the joy of Easter this week?