| | HE IS RISENHE IS RISEN INDEED I spent a couple of hours this morning, writing about the then and now of it and upon hitting 'enter' the whole thing self destructed. I hardly know where to begin again. Perhaps it was a reminder that we have to stay in the 'now' of it. However, I just have to comment on the fact that 50 years ago, Easter was such a w'holy' different thing that it's hard to recognize it to-day. Preparation for Easter began with the usual familiar Christian beginnings along with the purchase of an Easter hat.  The Easter hat was usually made of straw, and had some flowers, and was tied on with a pastel coloured grosgrain (didn't know I still knew that word) ribbon if you were under the age of 10. It was very exciting to know you would be wearing this hat on Easter Sunday for that was the day everyone arrived at church in their finery. It was either purchased, gifted, or just plain washed up and starched, but it felt brand new. It was not just a 'dressing up' but it was a celebratory action that said WE are brand new. WE have been forgiven at the Cross. HE IS RISEN - HALLELUJAH.....and as children, we recognized that. Palm Sunday was another very special event. Palms were given out, and that palm usually sat propped up, or pinned to a curtain until the next year. It was the beginning of understanding that our Lord was determined to reach the Cross because it was His job to do so in order that we be saved from our sins through His forgiveness. It was a simple message. We accepted it. We moved forward to Good Friday with that understanding, and again, stood together in our place of worship, side by side, feeling the pain of this wondrous gift we were about to receive.  . Saturday was spent together painting as many as two dozen eggs, for the Easter egg hunt we knew would come after church on Sunday. There was no thought of fancy candy, buying stuffed animals, but a joy in colouring our special eggs and creating something beautiful to be hidden by our parents, and refound at the hunt.  . Easter Sunday dawned, and we gathered together to Praise God. HE IS RISEN - HE IS RISEN INDEED rang from mouth to mouth outside the church. The church was a glorious gift to God. We dressed not to show off to our neighbour, but to show God we celebrated wholly together in His presence and Honoured Him with special care on this day.  . After church, main street was full of people parading together as a family, to see and be seen, to greet each other with, "HE IS RISEN" and the answer resounding back "HE IS RISEN INDEED". Then home for the Easter egg hunt, a hardy lunch, and our dad reading to us of the rising of Christ from the grave and telling us that is what it means to be a Christian, a follower of Christ - to know our most grievous sins have been forgiven in His name and Praise the Lord. CHRIST THE LORD IS RISEN TO-DAY HALLELUJAH , we sang together with someone at the family piano. Yes, those were the days my friends, we thought would never end, and here we are with nothing but the memory. Attending a service at a local church on Sunday brought all this to mind as I listened to a sermon from Matthew that had nothing to do with Palm Sunday. That led to the writing of this blog. How is it for you? How was it for you? Do you wish you, too, could go shopping for an Easter Bonnet? Or are you happy to put on your jeans and head to church without having to think about what to put on. I believe we elders are richer for our history. I mourn the loss of it for our children and grandbabies. God's blessings be upon you..... |
