This morning I looked back over the comments about my last few posts and want to say thank you for taking the time to write to me. Your comments are valuable. It always feels good to know I have readers who are enjoying and/or learning from what I write. I always learned a great deal from your comments.
Image by Van3ssa 🩺 Zheki 🙏 Dazzy 🎹 from Pixabay
It’s Maunday Thursday. Bridgenorth United, my church family, is having a special Maunday Thursday service tonight, Good Friday tomorrow morning, and of course Sunrise and 10:30 a.m. services on Sunday. Our minister Cathy Gradante has spent a great deal of time and prayer in preparation. She has also asked many of us to participate, including me in leadership. I send this invitation to all in the Bridgenorth and Peterborough area to come to these services.
As a society we celebrate Easter. It is wise and helpful to understand the Christian story that is the basis of our celebration. We believe that Jesus (God) lives in each one of us. That belief means that we accept all people regardless of race, colour, faith, age, gender identification, ability and more. The story of Easter reminds us to love all people.
In “Sharing the Easter Faith with Children” by Carolyn Brown, she includes the following story. I’m hoping you will read it and possibly even learn from it.
SURPRISES!!!!
Jesus was just full of surprises. When he saw mean little Zaccheus sitting up in a tree, he stopped and called up to him, “Surprise Zaccheus! God loves you. I want to be your friend.”
when it was lunchtime for a whole crowd of people and only one boy had a lunch box he was willing to share, Jesus said, “Surprise! There is always enough to go around when we share.” Then, he split that lunch so everyone had enough to eat.
When Jesus saw a blind man, he said, “Surprise!” and healed his eyes.
Jesus also said some surprising things.
He said, “God loves everyone, even the people you don’t like.”
He said, “God wants us to share.”
He said, “Love people who are mean to you.”
Finally, some people had enough of Jesus and all his surprises. they said, “We’d feel better if Jesus weren’t around.” So they killed him. They rolled a huge stone in front of the cave where Jesus’ friends had put his body. They even put two soldiers to guard the cave. “That will take care of Jesus and his surprises,” they said.
Jsus’ friends were very sad. They cried on Friday when Jesus was killed. They cried on Saturday. They were still crying on Sunday, when his friend Mary when to the cave. When she got there:
SURPRISE! The big rock was rolled away.
SURPRISE! jESUS’ BODY WAS GONE
SURPRISE!There were two angels there who said. “Jesus is not here! He is not dead any more! He has risen.
SURPRISE! Jesus was right. God’s love is bigger and stronger than any of the bad things that anyone does. The Easter word for all those surprises is “Hallelujah!” which means PRAISE GOD!
Today, I have an Easter surprise for you. What’s usually in an egg? ”
I add the following thoughts to Carolyn’s story:
On Easter Sunday I will say to my great grandson Riley, “Grandpa and I have a surprise for you. Go look for eggs that look like this. There will be a surprise inside.”
Instead of candy, we will fill his Easter eggs with wonderful fruit – raspberries, blueberries, strawberries (his absolute favourite food next to eggs) to help him grow big and strong.