Easter Sunday

Easter Morning

Wow. I woke up this morning in California and share Easter with my son's family. After breakfast we took part in an Easter Egg Hunt. Little Julie came out side and found easter eggs all over the ground. She was so excited as raced around picking up the plastic eggs with a chocolate surprise on the inside. Where does she get all of the energy?

While I am not against any of the secular celebrations of easter, I much prefer the religious understanding. This is the easter equivilent of "Keep Christ in Christmas." Easter should be a celebration of the risen Christ. It the story of those who went in great sorrow to finish a task they began the day before. Getting the spices ready and giving Jesus' body his final perparations for burial. A long hike to the tomb to finish the work and it would be done.

However, when the women arrived at the tomb they were greeted with a surprise. Jesus was not there. They found instead an empty tomb with angels that told them Jesus was alive. "He is Risen!" they are told.
They run with excitement to tell the disciples. On the road to Emmas, two disciples meet the risen Jesus. When They discover it, they run all the way back to the city of Jerusalem to tell the other disciples.

Maybe we have more in common with this early celebration of easter than I originally though. Both celebrations consist of a surprise and boundless energy and excitement. Lord God, Thank you for the surprise and excitement of Easter. Amen.