50 DAYS OF EASTER

In recent years, I’ve been introduced to the inner workings of the annual church calendar. When I started in full-time youth ministry, the church calendar meant Youth Convention in the fall, Winter Camp, spring Fine Arts Festival, Summer Camp, and assorted beach trips and lock-ins along the way. Those were great days, but I still don’t miss the smell of the boys’ cabins, and why in the world do we do all-night lock-ins again?

I mentioned in one of my Christmas blogs this past year that we celebrate the holiday all wrong in our day. We decorate, shop, and gear-up for one big day (maybe two if you go all out on Christmas Eve), and just like that it’s over and time to take down the tree. But just like the song, Christmas is supposed to be a 12 Day season, beginning on Christmas Day. Ignoring the historical church calendar has cost us at least 10 days of merriment!

The same is true of Easter, and then some. Eastertide, as it is liturgically called, lasts until Pentecost Sunday, which, true to its name, is 50 Days after Easter. That’s a whole lot of Peeps, Cadbury, and chocolate bunnies. This year, I heard Costco debuted two-foot tall, 10-pound chocolate bunnies. Now that’s what I’m talking about! Although, that still wouldn’t get me through all 50 days. But what a great start. I love Costco.

It's only fitting after 40 days of Lent fasting (Did I give up chocolate? NO!), there be 50 days of Eastertide feasting, post-resurrection. Of course, in the Christian church our weekly day of corporate worship moved from Saturday (Sabbath) to Sunday (Resurrection Day). We still are called to Sabbath rest, but we essentially celebrate Easter Sunday every Sunday. Nonetheless, let’s not miss the call and the opportunity to especially celebrate the fact Jesus is risen from the dead for an annual 50 day run. It’s not too late to get started. I love the church calendar (and not a lock-in is in sight).

I quoted Mike Glenn in my last blog, a name I’d never heard until Professor Scot McNight introduced me to him in his weekly newsletter as a guest blogger. Well, it happened again. His Easter blog is too good not to share. Here is a good portion of it (you will likely need a tissue):

One of the reasons I believe in Easter is I’ve seen lots of little Easters. I’ve been there when life came from death, when something came out of nothing and darkness was swallowed up in light.

A young wife had an affair and she was going to confess to her husband. Here was the catch. She didn’t know how her husband would react and she wanted to tell him in my office. We set up the time and the two of them showed up for our meeting. It was one of the worst moments I have ever been part of in my life. As he realized what his wife was telling him, he began to fall apart. Do you remember in the cartoons when a character would fall apart in chunks? That’s what happened to this guy. He fell apart in chunks and ended up on his all fours, sobbing on my office floor.

Then, I saw it happen. His body stiffened. He pushed up from the floor, rising from devastation to strength and purpose. He stood up, no longer defeated, but a man ready for battle.

Wiping his eyes, he looked at me and said, “This isn’t God’s will for my family.” He got back on the couch next to his wife, took her by the hand and said, “This isn’t how our story ends. I’m not going to do this to our kids. I’m not going to do this to us.” This is still one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in my ministry. One moment, everything is dead. The next? Everything is alive. One moment, there was no hope and the next? A marriage, a family, a future were on their way to being restored.

A little Easter.

I’ve seen this too many times in my life. An alcoholic puts down the bottle. An embezzler returns the money. Despairing people are suddenly filled with hope. Churches who began the meeting talking about dissolving and selling the building find themselves talking about mission and purpose. They agree to get back together and see what they can work out not to keep the church open, but how best to serve their community – a little Easter.

Life from death, hope from despair – Easter happens all the time.

This past Sunday, I was glad to preach the Easter message about women coming to an empty tomb. I was glad to proclaim Jesus is alive and waiting to meet us on the various roads we all walk. I was glad to preach about Easter on Sunday, because Monday was coming and I would need Easter again.

I believe in Easter. I believe Christ rose from the dead. Not only do I believe in Easter, I also believe in all of the little Easters that will happen until He returns. He is risen! He is risen, indeed!

How about you and me? How many little Easters have we seen? Perhaps a new tradition for us can be naming as many of these as we can over the 50 days of Eastertide. There are now only 30 to go, so we’d best get busy!

Happy Eastertide, friends. He is Risen Indeed!

JAY