Rejoice! He Is Risen!

Today is Easter Sunday.  A day all about faith and family.
Today we wake up to candy and chocolate bunnies, hidden baskets laden with gifts.
Today we feast on roasted ham and scalloped potatoes and special traditional foods.
Today we dress up in our finest outfits to wear to church.
Today the choir sings with renewed vigor, and the entire congregation sings along, hardly able to contain our joy.
Today we hear the great news of Jesus' resurrection.

But not every Sunday is like Easter, is it?  It isn't every Sunday that we dress up for church.  If we are honest with ourselves, it isn't every Sunday that we may even want to go to church.  The message is not always the wonderful news of Jesus' resurrection.  Sometimes we hear the difficult things, the things that cause us to swallow the lump of conviction.  Sometimes we can't let go of our bitterness and fears long enough to hear God's voice.  Sometimes we just go through the motions, distracted by the din of our own busy-ness and pursuits. 

But it is every Sunday, in fact every moment of every day, that God loves us.  Every day he calls us to himself through our faith in his Son.  God has offered us the gift of forgiveness and eternal life.  Jesus secured this promise for us when he died on the cross and rose from the dead.  Because there was a resurrection, because there is Easter Sunday, we have hope.  Every day.  We have life.  We have His promise.  

Today we renew our baptismal vows.  We have a fresh start.  A chance to commit, again, to living the life of faith, the life of fullness in his love.   In light of the joy of the resurrection, we can proclaim, "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad, for Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.  Let us live our lives in that joy."

Be blessed,
     lynda