Happy Easter!

Have you ever wondered why Easter falls on a different date every year?

Easter is always the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox (March 20 or 21).  The date of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that the Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.  Easter can fall as early as March 23 and as late as April 25.

The next time Easter will fall on March 31 is in the year 2086!

I wonder what it would have been like to be there there in Jerusalem all those many years ago.  The Passover was being celebrated – a celebration of thankfulness to God for bringing God’s people out of Egyptian captivity.  So Jerusalem was an incredibly busy place with people filling the streets.  It was also a time, however, when the Israelites were under oppression from the Roman government and they were anxiously waiting for God to send them a deliverer – another Moses or David.

As Jesus enters into the city the people begin to cry “Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest”.  They had heard of Jesus’ great wisdom and miracles.  Others were there when He had feed the five thousand with only a few fishes and loaves of bread.  This must be the man who would save them!
The crowds took the cloaks off their backs and spread them on the road.  They waved branches, cheering “Hosanna, in the highest”.  Their shout of “Hosanna” was a shout of “Save us”.

But as we know, Jesus did not come to save them from their political oppression.  He came to rescue them from their sins.

As we enter into the Easter story this week, know that this man of power and presence – Jesus the Christ – came not only for those in the crowed streets of Jerusalem, but He came for you and for me.

On Sunday we waved palm branches to the King of Kings. As we sang “Hosanna, hosanna in the highest” we, like the crowd in Jerusalem all those years ago were singing “Save us”.

However, unlike the crowd that gathered that day, we have the assurance that when we surrender and commit our lives to the king, Jesus will save us!

Plan to join us on Good Friday at 11 am as we gather to remember.

Often people will say that the word “good” does not properly describe the day.  “What’s so “good” about Good Friday?” they ask. Think about it this way:  on that day Jesus paid the penalty for humanity’s sins; because he took upon himself what we deserve, it is a day that delivers good news for those who accept this gift.  Joy is coming.

On Easter Sunday at 11am we celebrate the Risen Christ.

Jesus lived, died, and was raised from the dead on a Sunday morning.  This is likely the most attested event in human history. Through this God showed us his perfection, his love and he showed us he is who he said he was. We, who are Christians, believe that the cross and empty tomb are the decisive moment in history and …death no longer has final say.  Hosanna!

Join us this Holy week as we journey to JOY!

How do we talk to our children about Easter?

So how do we talk to our children about Easter? 

It is so much easier talking to our children about Christmas, isn’t it?  Especially when we rush over the virgin birth part ;)  Talking about a little baby, the joy of Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and angels and wise men, is fun.  But when we talk about Easter we can’t speak about it without speaking of death and that can be more nerve wracking.

Probably because of that, Easter, the key experience of the faith which is about new life, an empty tomb, forgiveness and resurrection so often becomes more about pastel coloured eggs, Easter egg hunts and the Easter bunny.  Don’t get me wrong, those are all fun, and to be perfectly honest, we still have an Easter egg hunt at our house (and I have adult children!).

Here’s the thing, one of the most important responsibilities we have as Christian parents is to teach our children about Jesus.

Deuteronomy 6: 7-9 says,  “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates”.

So after our big Easter egg hunt, when the children were little, we would talk about the eggs representing new life.  Like the new life we have in Jesus.  That talk was never as engaging as when we made Resurrection buns on Easter morning to illustrate the empty tomb.  Check out the easy recipe here.

These yummy buns were a great way to talk about how the empty tomb was the ultimate victory of the good guys (God/Jesus) over the bad guys (Judas, the priests, Pilate, the soldiers). I would tell that kids that on Good Friday the bad guys thought they had won. They killed Jesus and sealed his body into a guarded tomb. On Easter morning God/Jesus blasted right out of that tomb and proved once and for all that God is more powerful than even the worst of the worst. And then we would cheer "Hooray for Jesus!". Easter is about celebrating that we belong to God who is the most powerful power in the universe!

As we talk about Easter with our children (or grandchildren) it’s important to remember that Easter is bigger and more complex than any of us can fully understand. And, we don't have to have all the answers. So pray, and then go ahead and talk about it with your children.

I think we probably do more harm when we don’t talk about it for fear that we’ll not get it right.

Share the Easter story with your children.

Share your faith with your children.

If you are looking for some resource materials to help you, don’t hesitate to contact our Family Ministry Director, Nancy Varga.  She’d be happy to help you!

As we enter into the Easter story this week, know that this man of power and presence – Jesus the Christ – came not only for those in the crowed streets of Jerusalem, but He came for you and for me.

This Palm Sunday, come with an expectation of being blessed and being a blessing!

The divine artist

My husband Brian is a talented artist. You may know that he plays the guitar and leads the worship band at Amberlea but he is also a gifted painter.

Recently, Brian’s brother found several of Brian’s paintings in storage.  These were paintings done “before my time” (hard to believe that he had a life before me, but apparently so; )

As I pulled each one of the oil paintings out of the box I was increasingly more impressed. They are beautiful. Of course, Brian is quite modest about his art, “they are not that good” and “just toss them” he said.

No way, I needed to hang them up!

Brian’s works are proudly displayed on the walls of the cottage so all can see them. They are beautiful landscapes that reflect and declare the beauty of God’s creation as interpreted through the artist.

In 1 Chronicles 16:24, the writer calls God’s people to do the same.

Declare his glory among the nations,

His marvelous deeds among all peoples.

This verse is part of David’s song of praise and thanks after God gave victory to the Israelites over the Philistines, and the Ark of the Covenant was returned to Jerusalem. After experiencing a tremendous victory, David was urging his people to go and tell what the Lord has done.

In this verse David is making a distinction between two separate groups of people — those who did not worship God and those who did. David is saying tell everyone who does not know God about his power and might and salvation, and remind those who do know God, that God is still powerful, and mighty and God is still declaring victory over their enemies!

The same is true today. No matter what battles you have fought or storms you are currently facing - whether you know God personally or not, know that God is powerful, and mighty even when we don’t understand God’s ways or timing.

I love seeing Brian’s works of art displayed on the walls for all to see.

You and I are called to display and reflect God’s greatness and glory through our own lives, through our words and actions, so others may know the divine artist — God the creator of the universe.

So go, and declare his glory, God is worthy to be praised!