Rising at Easter
Chapter 20 of the Gospel of John begins "Early Sunday morning..."
I hope to kill 2 birds with one stone in this post albeit on the first item I am a week or more late.
Firstly, Easter sunrise services are terrific. No, they are essential to my commemoration of Easter. For the past 3 years I have made it a tradition to attend 1 or more. This year I only hit Bethel at 6:30 AM. As usual I took breakfast at Triumph.
Why do I enjoying waking early on Easter Sunday?
I think it has something to do with making Easter a bit different than the other 51 Sundays. Working with smaller churches it is difficult to create that kind of atmosphere. Lack of resources really becomes apparent during holidays. To avoid discouragement I blend in with one the larger congregations.
Secondly, this week marks the 90th anniverary of the Easter Rising of 1916, igniting to flames the embers of the Irish struggle for independence. Although the intent of the Rising failed to be realized (overthrow British rule) at that time, their blood (James Connolly, Seán MacDiarmada, Padraig Pearse, Joseph Mary Plunkett, Éamonn Ceannt, Thomas James Clarke and 10 others) awakened the Irish and precipitated the Irish War of Independence (1918-1921) and onward to some independence in 1921 (without the North). It's an intriguing history of events following 1916.
Well that's enough history. The dead are dead and remembered, BUT Jesus is live, his blood having covered our sins and his resurrection getting us the spoils of victory.
Slan.
I hope to kill 2 birds with one stone in this post albeit on the first item I am a week or more late.
Firstly, Easter sunrise services are terrific. No, they are essential to my commemoration of Easter. For the past 3 years I have made it a tradition to attend 1 or more. This year I only hit Bethel at 6:30 AM. As usual I took breakfast at Triumph.
Why do I enjoying waking early on Easter Sunday?
I think it has something to do with making Easter a bit different than the other 51 Sundays. Working with smaller churches it is difficult to create that kind of atmosphere. Lack of resources really becomes apparent during holidays. To avoid discouragement I blend in with one the larger congregations.
Secondly, this week marks the 90th anniverary of the Easter Rising of 1916, igniting to flames the embers of the Irish struggle for independence. Although the intent of the Rising failed to be realized (overthrow British rule) at that time, their blood (James Connolly, Seán MacDiarmada, Padraig Pearse, Joseph Mary Plunkett, Éamonn Ceannt, Thomas James Clarke and 10 others) awakened the Irish and precipitated the Irish War of Independence (1918-1921) and onward to some independence in 1921 (without the North). It's an intriguing history of events following 1916.
Well that's enough history. The dead are dead and remembered, BUT Jesus is live, his blood having covered our sins and his resurrection getting us the spoils of victory.
Slan.
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