I asked the grandchildren what Easter means to them:-
Mum and dad at home, Family meal, Christian Holiday widely
celebrated, Fasting, Easter egg hunt, Being off school / getting away
from school bullies? Eggs, Boring Sunday with nothing open and
nothing to do (Throwback to the sixties), Chocolate.
Most people seem the think Easter is a time to look forward to warmer longer days
with better weather. Visits to relatives they have avoided since Christmas. For others a
long weekend to enjoy life on their own, or with like-minded friends. Or a time when
loneliness is at its worst. The children just love the chocolate. Although there are more
concerned about healthy eating nowadays and would rather have the money.
A Christian might think it means?
The last supper
He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.
Everyone left Him.
Condemned to death for our sins.
Rolled away the stone.
Opened the way to Heaven.
Still concerned for everyone while hanging on the Cross.
Surrounded by people who loved him but could not understand.
Easter may mean fasting, going without something for 40 days, enjoying family
get-togethers, a walk into the centre of town carrying a Cross, a Communion Service on
a Thursday, hot cross buns, sunrise service, extra quite time for reading and praying.
Making sure the children understand the eggs are empty just like Jesus’ tomb.
I hope this Easter will mean all the things above and a lot more that is personal to you,
anniversaries or birthdays, marriages and lost loved ones. We all look forward with
sadness to most of the events of holy week. As we are the reason for these events.
Until the glorious Sunday morning.
This year we need to pray for our world to see the importance of Jesus death and rise
back to life. We also have to listen to what God is saying to our Church at this time.
Make sure he is leading us forward to where we are required to be for the future of
our Church.
Let us pray, as on a church of England website, “for the curiosity and courage to seek
God outside the ordinary”.

Alan