Easter Memories

My lasting memories of Easter and its spiritual significance begin in the early '70s!  Even though I had been a Christian about 10 years we did not celebrate Easter in the congregation in which I came to faith.  When I was a child Mama Brown (my maternal grandmother) would have an egg hunt for all the grand-kids. Afterwards we would sit around her dining table and eat boiled eggs and candy eggs until we were almost sick!  No mention was made of the spiritual significance of the holiday.  We were confessing Christians, but secular in many of our practices.

In 1970, January 1st to be exact, I discovered that the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead continues to work in the world today! This brought renewal and vibrancy to my faith and spiritual life!  Many of the contemporary songs of the era moved me to exultation!  Second Chapter of Acts' "Easter Song" and Don Francisco's "He's Alive" come to mind readily.  "Because He Lives" could be added to that list.

Today joy comes when I see Christians from different denominations gather to celebrate Resurrection.  For a brief moment, in that hour of worship, we become body of Christ.  Denominational walls fall away and the body is visible!  Grave clothes are discarded.  It is as if the tomb is open and the body comes forth... Hallelujah!  The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is now at work in us--the 'called out' community of faith active in the world today.  Let it continue to be so throughout the year--not just on one particular Sunday!