For those in my French class who know that I am a minister of a church, they have been asking me if things have been getting busy this week. My response of "No, not really" sort of surprises them. Of course, they are curious about my involvement in Easter celebrations, and their question comes from the perspective that Christians (that is, in reality, nominal Christians) ought to make a point of attending some sort of Easter celebration with a church. Thus, my unexpected response gives me an excellent opportunity of explaining our beliefs about Christ and his resurrection.

Let's look at it this way: as far as we know biblically, the early church knew nothing of annual Easter celebrations. There was nothing that indicated to them that Christ's death and resurrection should be honoured on a yearly occasion. Instead, Christ's death and resurrection were the substance of weekly celebrations (first day of the week) and something they treasured daily. The death and resurrection were encapsulated in the Lord's Supper, where, as the disciples drank the wine which represented blood (that is, death!), there were  simultaneously declaring that Jesus lived, and that he would be returning in the future! The death and resurrection meant to walk daily in  forgiveness, love, grace, mercy, gratitude, and hope. Indeed, those who entered into Christ's death and resurrection in baptism entered into a new life. A new life! Does all of that sound like something you would celebrate or contemplate only yearly? Not likely, if you understood its significance.

Perhaps as we celebrate Easter with the rest of the world this year, our prayer might be that our friends and family in other Christian movements might come to understand and celebrate the significance of the death and resurrection as the early church did – celebratimg week by week, and cherishing day by day.