Rector's Rambling - April 4, 2010 (Easter Day)

The Liturgy for Easter begins with this joyful acclamation that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, and although we don’t get to say it very often, it should be said with great gusto! It is a solid and vital statement of faith and who we are as members of the Body of Christ - His Church! We are a “Resurrection People” who have been reconciled to God through the atoning death of Jesus Christ, who has conquered death and hell by rising from the dead on this third day.
Easter is wonderful in so many ways. After a long Lent full of extra sacrifices and extra devotions we look forward to savouring those things we have given up for 40 days (assuming they aren’t sinful things we should be giving up permanently). The approaching Spring weather lightens our hearts and moods, appropriate for the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection! And the change of tenor of the hymns and readings moves our hearts and minds from the sins from which we are repenting toward the grace-filled forgiveness we have received as this free gift from God in His Son Jesus Christ.
And there is no better way to commemorate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead than to be here today with the great joy and gusto of this grand celebration. Thanks be to God for all who are here with us to for this great Feast!
But Easter is not just a DAY, it is a church SEASON. Eastertide, like Lent, is 40 days of celebration, including all the Sundays between now and the Feast of the Ascension (May 13th this year). And Ascension begins another 10 days of prayer and anticipation for the Feast of the coming of the Holy Ghost (Whitsunday or Pentecost).
So let us continue the celebration today, tomorrow, next Sunday, and the weeks to come. Alleluia, Christ is Risen! The Lord is Risen indeed! Alleluia!