The Season of Easter
We celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Each Sunday durring the 50 days of Easter have traditionally held to a particular theme that helps the congregation and the believer celebrate the resurrected Christ. As theologian Lawrence Stookey has written, "The season of Easter should be in every congregation a time for an unapologetic and agressive reaffirmation of essential Christian faith." (Calendar, 1996)
The Second Sunday of Easter - Thomas Sunday, when we hear of Christ's appearance to the disiple Thomas where he might touch and see the wounds of Christ for himself.
The Third Sunday of Easter - Meal Sunday, when we read the stories of the risen Christ sharing food with his followers. This might include the story of Jesus' appearance on the road to Emmaus or even his breakfast on the beach with his disciples as told in the Gospel of John.
The Fourth Sunday of Easter - Good Shepherd Sunday, when we hear from the 10th chapter of John as well as typically the 23rd Psalm as well as we contemplate how Christ is both the Lamb and the Shepherd.
The Fifth Sunday of Easter - I AM Sunday, when we hear of Jeus's teachings in the Gospel of John as well as the book of Revelations and contemplate how the I AM of Moses when he spoke to God from the burning bush is also the I AM of the New Testament.
GOD'S HOLY PEOPLE, Ann Weems
Here we are, you and I,
called to be God's Holy People.
You say you're not the holy type,
but I'm not talking about holier-than-thou.
I'm not talking about religious ritual, and the last thing I mean is self-righteousness!
Jesus chastised the self-righteous,
the ones who spent their days doing religious things,
the ones who spent so much time in religious ritual
that they didn't have time for tenderheartedness.
I'm not talking about them;
I'm talking about us. I'm talking about paying attention
to the things Jesus taught people,
ordinary people, people like you, people like me . .
Look at the disciples: ordinary people
called to follow,
called to be God's Holy People,
called to live in this world with tender hearts.
Live holy lives . . . impossible?
Is anything impossible to God?
That old woman Sarah thought it impossible
to have a child . . .
The lepers though it impossible
to be healed.
The disciples thought it impossible
to feed five thousand with two loves and five fishes…
Mary and Martha thought it impossible
that their brother Lazarus was alive . . .
The lame thought it impossible to walk . .
The blind thought it impossible to see . .
Here we are, ordinary people,
called to be the Holy People of God.
If you have eyes to see and ears to hear,
see and hear God's holiness in your life.
