Dear Friends,
Among my collection of photographs is one of my younger sister and myself when we were quite young. I was seven and Kathy was five. The photograph was taken on Easter Sunday. Kathy had on a new Easter dress, and I had on a new Easter suit coat and hat. It was a special day. We were on our way to church to celebrate the risen Christ. And no doubt we looked forward to getting home after worship and searching for our Easter baskets!
Kathy and I were not the only ones to have new Easter clothes that Easter Sunday. In fact, new clothes for Easter has been a tradition for many people for a long time. I’m not sure when the tradition started or why it began. But I wonder if it has something to do with the “newness” that Easter seems to symbolize. All around us on Easter there is newness. There are probably new flowers growing in our gardens, and new tree buds budding from our trees. The spring rains wash away the old snow and new, fresh grass grows in its place. There are new chores to be done such as “spring-cleaning.” And there is new hope in our lives as the days get longer and warmer. Of course what we really celebrate on Easter is the new life that is promised to us because Jesus rose from the dead. It is not only a new life that is promised to us after we die, but a new life we can experience right here and now as we give ourselves to God and learn to live in his ways. When we do so we learn new ways of seeing, new ways of doing things, new perspectives, new hopes, and we dream new dreams that are given to us by the Holy Spirit.
The Apostle Paul wrote the congregation in Ephesus that they were to “Clothe” themselves with the new self, “created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” And when Paul wrote the congregation known as the Colossians, he got very specific. He wrote, “Clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you…Above all clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony (Colossians 3:12-14.)
What does all this mean? As Easter people we are to live differently because of Jesus’ resurrection. We are not to stay the same. How we look at life and how we live life is to have a God-directed emphasis. It’s like putting on new Easter clothes. We’re new people! We are God-seeking people. Jesus’ resurrection makes all the difference. We are Easter people!
How is your life different because of Easter? Has it brought you closer to God in prayer and worship? Has it changed the way you think and act? Are you kinder and gentler, patient and forgiving because of Easter’s impact on you? In the power of Christ’s resurrection are you filled not only with new hope but a new way of living life?
Let’s put on new Easter clothes. Not the kind you find at a department store. But the kind that comes from allowing the beauty of the resurrection to impact all aspects of our lives.
Happy Easter!
Pastor Jim
Among my collection of photographs is one of my younger sister and myself when we were quite young. I was seven and Kathy was five. The photograph was taken on Easter Sunday. Kathy had on a new Easter dress, and I had on a new Easter suit coat and hat. It was a special day. We were on our way to church to celebrate the risen Christ. And no doubt we looked forward to getting home after worship and searching for our Easter baskets!
Kathy and I were not the only ones to have new Easter clothes that Easter Sunday. In fact, new clothes for Easter has been a tradition for many people for a long time. I’m not sure when the tradition started or why it began. But I wonder if it has something to do with the “newness” that Easter seems to symbolize. All around us on Easter there is newness. There are probably new flowers growing in our gardens, and new tree buds budding from our trees. The spring rains wash away the old snow and new, fresh grass grows in its place. There are new chores to be done such as “spring-cleaning.” And there is new hope in our lives as the days get longer and warmer. Of course what we really celebrate on Easter is the new life that is promised to us because Jesus rose from the dead. It is not only a new life that is promised to us after we die, but a new life we can experience right here and now as we give ourselves to God and learn to live in his ways. When we do so we learn new ways of seeing, new ways of doing things, new perspectives, new hopes, and we dream new dreams that are given to us by the Holy Spirit.
The Apostle Paul wrote the congregation in Ephesus that they were to “Clothe” themselves with the new self, “created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” And when Paul wrote the congregation known as the Colossians, he got very specific. He wrote, “Clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you…Above all clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony (Colossians 3:12-14.)
What does all this mean? As Easter people we are to live differently because of Jesus’ resurrection. We are not to stay the same. How we look at life and how we live life is to have a God-directed emphasis. It’s like putting on new Easter clothes. We’re new people! We are God-seeking people. Jesus’ resurrection makes all the difference. We are Easter people!
How is your life different because of Easter? Has it brought you closer to God in prayer and worship? Has it changed the way you think and act? Are you kinder and gentler, patient and forgiving because of Easter’s impact on you? In the power of Christ’s resurrection are you filled not only with new hope but a new way of living life?
Let’s put on new Easter clothes. Not the kind you find at a department store. But the kind that comes from allowing the beauty of the resurrection to impact all aspects of our lives.
Happy Easter!
Pastor Jim
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