Sunday, April 8, 2012

April 8 – “Culture and Christianity on Resurrection Weekend”

 
 
We did our Easter egg decorating back on Friday.  We usually do it the Saturday before Easter, but Kel's church planned an egg hunt for that day, so we switched.  Sadly it meant April had to miss it because she was in clinicals.  Josiah was by far the star this time.  He knew exactly what to do with the eggs.  In fact he knew a little too well.  Don't get me wrong.  He didn't start knocking over the cups of dye until toward the very end.  The thing that impressed me was the fact that he could hold two eggs is each hand.  That requires some dexterity for old guys like me, so it was extraordinary for a little guy like him.  He was definitely on a mission.  He had to get as many eggs into the cup in front of him as he could in as short a time as possible.  And when they didn't fit exactly, well, he just pushed harder.  Something had to eventually give – the cup or the eggs.  I think he cracked about a dozen.  So many eggs, so little time. 
 
It didn't take long before Jachin, as the eldest grandchild, began to ask about the egg hunt.  There was no dissuading him, either.  He knew there would be an egg hunt.  "We always hunt eggs."  Micah took up his mantra, adding, "And we haven't had eggs with coins in them."  Ah, tradition is rarely lost on the elders.  Chris sis her best to engage him while I went out front to hide the plastic eggs we had prepared.  This year I was the only hider, too.  Lots of pressure there.  That meant if any got left behind I would take the rap.  The good thing was the grass needed to be mowed, so there were plenty of hiding places.  They finally found all of them with just a little help from the adults.  The traditional dumping and counting and trading followed.  Best I could tell everyone left happy.  That's the point of a cultural celebration, right?
 
And now that the cultural celebration part of the weekend is over, it's five in the morning on Resurrection Sunday.  I just heard the alarm go off, so Chris will be getting up soon and we can head out to the beach for the sunrise service.  I've been up since 4:20, awake off and on since 12:30.  What can I say?  I get excited on Easter morning.  Especially since I found out last night we have another candidate for baptism in the Gulf.  Christ is risen.  He is risen indeed.
 
Luke 24:1-8 – "On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.  In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:  'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'"  Then they remembered his words."
 
Father, it's already a great day.  It's yours.  Happy resurrection!  Amen.

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