EVERY DAY IS EASTER DAY

By John Ross Thompson

Easter is more than a day. It’s more than a season until Pentecost. It’s a life journey.

If the Easter hymns are still going through your head, don’t stop them!

“Christ the Lord is Risen Today”, “Up From the Grave He Arose” and other triumphant Easter hymns remind us that our faith looks forward and is filled with hope. That’s why we’re going to keep singing them for a few more Sundays.

In the midst of a chaotic world, filled with terror and death, many persons lose heart. It’s not unusual for any of us to go through a period of depression, or at least a time of discouragement.

The resurrection of Jesus was the pivotal event that changed a rag-tag band of disciples into the most powerful movement that ever has been seen on this earth. Even today, more persons are part of the Christian faith than any other. The reverberations of what happened to those first disciples are still with us.

It’s relatively new to University United Methodist Church to have frequent deaths in our church family. As a church that is only 50 years old, we’re more accustomed to births, baptism, and weddings. In recent years, though, more and more of our members are dying. The recent deaths of 50-year member Glenn Waxler and 32-year member Louise Ripatte are examples of what is happening.

Their lives, and the lives of others who have died in recent months, are models for us of persons who have lived faithful lives. We don’t understand exactly what heaven is like, but we know that the God who created us keeps on creating. God’s purpose for us does not end with physical death. The triumphant message of hope is for all of us!

Dare to be different! When someone expresses a lack of hope, share your belief that God will see us through. Exude trust in God’s promise of eternal life, both on this earth and beyond. You don’t need to have the exact words to explain what you believe, just share what you feel deep inside.

Each Sunday is a “little Easter.” Each day can be a day of hope and faith. Join us as often as you can to find out how real Easter is every day of the year.