Easter Sunday…a special day for believers…the day we get to specifically celebrate that Jesus died for our sins on the cross, but He didn’t just die…He rose again! It reminded me of the hymn He Lives by Alfred Ackley.
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.
He lives within each of us and it was a blessing to be able to celebrate a risen Savior together this Easter Sunday. Any time we get to do life together, worship together, and eat together I am blessed, but there is something special about Easter.
I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today;
I know that He is living whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.
The day starts bright and early with a small crew that gets coffee brewing and the food and dining tables setup, next come a dozen or so Easter lilies to brighten the room, the worship team arrives and music and singing fills in the background as they do a sound check, the tables are filling with delicious breakfast foods which all smell marvelous, and the plastic eggs to be hidden for the kids keep arriving. There is the often repeated, but joyously shared “He is risen.” and response “He is risen indeed!” throughout and the overwhelming spirit of Hope is tangible. A blessing over the food, and then the delicious food is eaten and coffee is drank amidst a background of visiting together. Eventually the dining tables are taken down, chairs setup back in rows, the communion table set and surrounded by lilies, and it is time to worship together. Music starts to fill the air, voices are raised in song, passages from the Word are shared, and the Easter celebration has really begun. Communion is served family style, as the bread is dipped in the juice, and then hugs are shared among our family and friends, all while we’re singing praises together. Requests and praises are shared and prayers lifted up to our heavenly Father.
In all the world around me I see His loving care,
And tho’ my heart grows weary I never will despair;
I know that He is leading thro’ all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing will come at last.
What a huge blessing, a reminder that life is filled with hope, filled with a sense of peace, not because of what we can see in this world, but because He lives. He lives and we serve a risen Savior who is in the world today. He is within us and allows us to experience hope for today and for tomorrow that would not have been possible if He hadn’t died and then rose again. The truth of this is reflected in each of us and Christ’s love that is demonstrated among those who love Him.
Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find,
None other is so loving, so good and kind.
Because He lives, then each day can be one where hope is tangible, each day can be a celebration that we serve a risen savior. So while not every day is an Easter Sunday where we specifically celebrate that Jesus has risen, each day in life can still be a day where we can be reminded that:
He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.
P.S. And yes, a part of the celebration of Easter did include a hunt for eggs for the kids, which was managed despite the rainy weather thanks to some inventive folks who made the space work.
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