Our Traditional Resurrection Celebration

~Posted by Rubia

This year was the 11^th year that our WHOLE family (all 7 of us) celebrated Easter together. That is, counting all the years since Josiah was born! J We were blessed to have a very traditional celebration, even in our current circumstances…hence the title of my post. J. Dad has visited us from OK every two weekends and planned to come the weekend of Easter. It was so fun to see such a full church on Sunday morning!

Prior to that, we experienced our first Good Friday service in a long time. What a wonderful time—especially since the quiet, solemn service was contrasted with a high-energy worship service on Sunday morning! I was reminded that we rejoice because the resurrection is what changes everything.

On Easter Sunday, we awoke extra early because we young adults and teens still hunt for colorful plastic eggs. J And the only thing we’re likely to be on the hunt for every year is whopper robin’s eggs! Mom and Dad have enjoyed hiding those yearly to help us celebrate--especially after many of us gave up sweets for the season of Lent.

We also like to wake up in time to have a non-rushed big breakfast together before going to church. This year we enjoyed cheesy bacon strata. We also had fruit, orange juice, and toast with orange marmalade. (The marmalade has become more popular since the movie “Paddington” came out, apparently.J)

Our Pastor preached an in-depth sermon from 1 Corinthians 15, and explained how the resurrection had to happen, and really did happen. There are some amazing evidences that back up the truth that Christ really did die, and that He really rose. His body was not stolen. One thing I remember Pastor G pointing out last year was that it has been recorded that women were the first to see Jesus after He rose. If the disciples had concocted a lie about the resurrection, they would have said that men saw Him first. This is because women were of little importance in that culture, and their testimony carried little credibility, so who would have believed them? Thus, this is one evidence that screams that the resurrection was not made up.

Creationist and speaker Ken Ham likes to say, “Christianity definitely requires faith, but it is not a blind faith.” He says this when talking about creation versus evolution, and then points out that the faith of the evolutionist (or atheist) is indeed blind. They ask how we believe what we do, but I ask, how do they believe what they do?

Totally switching gears again, we all appreciate having Dad come often and on Easter, we all enjoyed a day of rest. Living all the way down here in Texas, we are *physically* far from extended family, so there was not present the excitement and adrenaline of a big family gathering…..however, having simply our own immediate family present for board games, visiting, a movie, and late lunch was a great blessing! Daddy headed back to his “other home” after we had lunch, with the promise that we could come to visit him soon.

To explain the food pictures J...we had honey-roasted ham with pineapple, baked redskin potatoes, peas with mint jelly, dinner rolls, Jello beans with whipped cream, and “grasshopper” pie. (This pie has a layer of crushed thin mints, covered with minty green frozen cream, and drizzled with chocolate sauce on top. J)

In closing, I would like to share from 1 Corinthians 15:16-22 as well as verses 55-57, (NASB). These verses assure us that because of the resurrection, lives are changed, and people become completely different when they believe! May these verses be an encouragement to you!

“For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.

O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”