Happy Easter weekend

[ValleyGal]

Given all the depressing, dark, disunity and dissension over all the numerous divorce threads in the marriage forum, I've decided to start a lighter, kinder thread that will promote unity among the people instead (hopefully).

Today is the day we remember our Saviour. The Messiah who came with this purpose of taking upon himself the death penalty that we deserve so we can be saved through reconciliation with the Father. Imagine....(symbolically) last night he would have washed his disciples' feet, served them bread and wine for their Jewish observance, and spoken about love and betrayal - the very subjects that make for much of today's hollywood. Late last night he would have been praying so intensely that he sweat drops of blood before one of his own chosen disciples betrayed him. Then he never slept all night as he was taken from one end of town to another while they figured out what to do with him, taunting and torturing him. His back would have been so shredded that putting clothes on him added insult to injury, not to mention knowing one of his very closest friends that he dearly loved denied knowing him. Today is the day we remember his journey, bloodied, painful walk up a dusty hill carrying a heavy cross, only to lay himself down on it and be nailed to it then raised up for all to see as a form of shame on him. People from town could likely see the cross on the hill - he was a public mockery.

This is the day we remember him speaking to the thief of paradise, of caring for others, and forgiveness of those who harm, persecute, kill you, praying for the salvation of his enemies. This is the day we remember God forsaking his Son, and still giving his Spirit to the Father. We remember his suffering, his death, the grief of his followers, his mother.

How will you remember Jesus today?

How will you celebrate his resurrection on Sunday?

Are you going to do anything to celebrate the Easter weekend?

 

[favoritetoyisjoy]

Happy Easter to all!!

Services and devotions will be extra special on Sunday.

My folks rented the Town Hall (there's a ton of us) in our little hometown for our Easter celebration, it'll be a riot, then we get to have our two young grandsons overnight, which will be another riot, trust me.

Maybe it's time to have a "Staying Together" thread.

 

[Odetta]

Tonight I want to watch The Passion of the Christ again. Trying to decide if the kids, at age 10 and 12 and both saved now, are mature enough to watch it, too. I want to watch it, because at church on Sunday, they are showing a video montage of clips from it while we in the choir sing a song called "The Great I Am". The music on Sunday will be wonderful, we've been practicing for weeks. Our choir director showed us the montage last week, and I'm so glad he prepared us for it, because it is very moving.

Sunday will be quite busy (and tiring, actually) but still a celebration. DH and I have to be there at 7 am to rehearse for choir, and then sing at three services and in between them, too. Unfortunately, there isn't any children's class/service for the times that we need them - and S1 is too old for that anyway - so they'll be spending it in the choir room. They will be having the service on TV in the choir room, so one of the hours we'll watch/hear the message as a family. There will be no seats available in the sanctuary, and we don't sit in the choir loft during the preaching because it is thought to be distracting for people who should focus on the message.

Afterwards, I don't know yet what we'll do for lunch. We would usually spend it with my ILs, but they are out of town this weekend (hence the issue with the kids on Sunday, because normally, we'd hand them off to their grandparents to bring to the service).

We're praying about the whole Passion and kids thing. But if anyone has opinions on whether they think 10 and 12 yo saved kids are ready to watch Passion, I'd love to hear them.

 

[WolfGate]

Good Friday services today will be very somber for our church.

Sunday morning I'll get up and be there at 7am for choir rehearsal. Services at 8, 9:30 and 11:00. Despite the fact this has been the most difficult week ever for our church, the songs are all of joy at the resurrection, so I intend to sing in that spirit. I think people are ready for that now.

 

[Autumnleaf]

Happy Easter!!

On Easter I like to think of eggs, deviled eggs, and bunnies. Peeps style.

I also like to think about how God tricked ole scratch with Jesus.

 

[ValleyGal]

Can you imagine being deep, deep in grief, and having to go back to the burial site to unwrap Jesus and anoint his body, preparing it for a proper burial? They were too rushed on Good Friday to do it properly. All day Saturday was their Sabbath - grieving, and knowing that they had to go back to finish a proper burial. The women woke up early so they could get the job done as early as possible...and they found the stone rolled away. Imagine the shock, confusion, and maybe even anger, that someone would have desecrated a grave - the grave of their Lord! They might have even been afraid...what if whoever rolled the stone away is still there? Their minds must have been racing a mile a minute.

And then the women look for Jesus and possibly their adrenaline hit the roof - especially when they find the empty tomb! And the linens piled where his body should have been. Confused, they started talking to each other about the situation. But then there were two men who appeared out of nowhere. They shone brightly, and asked why they were looking for the living among the dead.

Suddenly it all became clear to them. Imagine how these women must have felt, knowing beyond knowing in a supernatural way, that Jesus their Lord was risen, that the prophecy was true, that their faith was fully validated like never before, and that their grief was over. They went from intense grief to manic elation in a matter of moments, and rushed back to the disciples to tell them the good news....can you imagine a few women so excited they could not contain themselves, all telling the story at once, not even making any sense, even though it made sense to them.

Imagine some of the men running back to the grave to confirm the women's story and see for themselves, and how these men must have suddenly had hope like they'd never known it before.

We can have that same experience today, of the risen Lord Jesus, empathizing with the women in their grief and then their elation, and understanding their desperate need to go and tell the others such good news!

Today, of all the Christian celebrations, is the one that is the most significant for us as believers. Imagine if Jesus had not conquered death....our faith would not have it's cornerstone. Today, I celebrate the victorious power of the Lord Jesus.