Holy Week invited us to reflect on the deeper matters of faith by revisiting the story of Jesus, especially giving attention to the events that occurred between Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem and his resurrection. The overarching message of God’s love…
On the importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead
On occasion I have heard someone declare that one thing or another serves as the foundation of their faith. Sometimes it is the Bible. Sometimes it is the love Jesus taught. Sometimes it is even Jesus Himself. But the fact…
Reflections of Easter
I sit in expectation of the horror of good Friday and in hopeful expectation of the work of Easter Sunday. This time of year is always the most contemplative for me, perhaps because it offers the fullest range of emotion…
Top 10 Things that Show You are Not taking Lent Seriously
In commemoration of the Lenten season, a top ten list of things that show you just aren’t taking Lent seriously. 10. You think Ash Wednesday is kind of like “Downtown after Five,” only on Wednesday and only once a year….
Out of season
By Elizabeth Evans Hagan At the church I currently attend, they take the concept of Easter-as-a-season quite seriously. The scriptural phrase “He is not here, he risen as he said” is printed on the front cover of each week’s bulletin….
Resurrection hurts
By Amy Butler In what must have been a slow news week, I saw a story last week about those iconic Easter candy chicks, Peeps. It seems that about 5 million Peeps are made each day in the months leading…
Experiencing the Risen Christ
By Molly T. Marshall The scent of lilies and the return of “alleluias” means that Easter has arrived, and we are reflecting on those tender encounters of the Risen Christ with his followers. Whether unrecognized in a garden, recognized in…
Holy week demanded holy dialogue
Did Holy Week this year seem to shout out for a new dimension of holy dialogue? It did to me. It was an unusual and disruptive week in several ways. It caused me to think about the need for a…
The perils of Easter preaching
By Jeff Brumley Regardless of denomination, congregational makeup or worship style, crafting a fresh and compelling Easter sermon, year and year out, can be a major challenge for many pastors. But the solution lies in the holiday itself, said Brett…