Wednesday, March 31, 2021

The True Blessings of Easter

Happy Easter from Seekerville!

We had so much fun with our bunny story this week... and honestly, the grace of little bunnies learning their lessons of sharing and caring is fun.

But Easter...





Easter is special. Beautiful. Majestic. And the road there, the Lenten path, the prayerful contemplation, the beauty of preparation during Holy Week, Lord have mercy, this is my favorite week of the year. The beauty of Holy Thursday when Jesus knew... He knew!... what was coming and still he followed protocol, he broke bread and offered wine, he offered his body and his blood for us. For sinners. For Gentile and Jew, women and men, firm and infirm, He offered Himself and that has made such a difference. 

People fight wars over religion... but the beauty of faith, the faith of a child, the faith of His people not shown in anger but compassion and kindness is the legacy I cling to. "And many went up from the country to Jerusalem before Passover..." 

We are the "many" now... and Holy Week and Easter remind us of the task and beauty of our faith in action. 
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you.

Easter thoughts by Mindy Obenhaus:

The hope of Easter...

Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice. He died a horrific death we cannot even begin to comprehend. But, praise God, the story doesn't end there. The good news of Easter is that Jesus conquered death so that we might live! He has risen! Because of Jesus, we have hope. No matter what life might throw our way, we can cling to His promise to never leave us or forsake us. He is our hope and our salvation.

Easter thoughts by Debby Giusti:

Take up your cross and follow me...

This last year has been tough. So many have lost loved ones or have been sick or lost businesses or jobs and are struggling to make ends meet. Some schools remain closed, some churches, many mom and pop establishments have hung permanent "CLOSED" signs on their doors, and we're still wearing masks and trying to stay healthy and COVID free. During this last year, we've been carrying our crosses and working to help neighbors and family and to spread the love of Christ to those around us. That's what Jesus asks us to do. He wants us to follow in his footsteps, and at no time is that more poignant than Holy Week. We're walking with him through his passion and death, but the Good News is that we eventually get to the Resurrection when every tear will be dried and every heart will be filled with joy. 

Dear Friends, I wish you a very prayerful Holy Week and a Happy Easter! May the Lord continue to bless you and your loved ones. Thank you for your support of Seekerville, thank you for your friendship, thank you for your love. I'm looking forward to Sunday when we can all proclaim, "HE IS RISEN!!! ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA!"



Easter thoughts by Cate Nolan

Music speaks to me. I love Matt Maher's music. It's probably what prompted me to try writing Inspirational Fiction. Several of his songs are particularly appropriate this week, so I wanted to share them with you. I love that he writes songs that deal with issues real people face, and helps us see how faith strengthens us.


This is a song my 4th graders loved to sing. They called it Religion Rock. There is joy in hearing young voices singing out "We lift high the banner of the Cross."



As Debby said so eloquently, come Sunday we shall celebrate that He has risen.


I wish you all a Blessed Easter.

7 comments:

  1. There was a soldier, just a private; they called him, and legions like him, a 'dogface'; not a glorious name, to be sure, but he did give up his life so that his teammates would simply have a better chance to survive the current battle. He was not unique. He was just one of many armies of warriors, who have made the same sacrifice in every war and in every day and every age.

    When asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God will come, Jesus answered:

    "Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21 KJV)

    He has risen and He can be found within each of us.
    Glory Be!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He is risen.
      He is risen indeed!

      And I love that passage, Vince, because it supports how I feel about faith and God... the kingdom of God is within us! All of us... the ability to love, to believe, to grab hold of faith and not let go. To me it's never about the building or the service (although I love beautiful church services!) but about the heart and the soul.

      Making our lives an alleluia.

      Delete
  2. He is risen. He is risen indeed. Bless His Holy Name. Have a blessed and Happy Resurrection Day.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Blessings to all as we look forward to celebrating on Resurrection Sunday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amen!

      I thought of you this week as I watched "Love Finds You in Sugarcreek Ohio" and the three aunts.... one played by Kelly McGinnis (Top Gun) were just adorable and I love that they were all so different. In size, body type, actions, personalities. They probably weren't portrayed truly as Amish (they all went to a church for church, not an Amish home) but I loved the casting.

      God bless you and praying that those fires are put out completely.

      Delete
    2. I've been thinking about you, Jan. Have you been safe from the fires?

      Delete

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