What is your church doing for Easter?

[Woody]

I will start:

My church is having an Easter Communion and Agape meal. We have invited a local Sunday Church to join us. I think this is a great way to join hands and share with them. I pray it's a success.

What is your church doing?

[SivartM]

I think you've mentioned this in an earlier thread, Woody, but Andrews University is holding our annual Passion Play.

[Woody]

Here's what one church near me is doing:

http://tdn.com/news/local/seventh-day-ad...1a4bcf887a.html

[Woody]

Andrews:

http://www.wnit.org/expmichiana/113/entertainment/

[Dr. Rich]

Easter? A Pagan event? I hope our church has an easter egg hunt as I have always enjoyed them.

[Woody]

Easter? A Pagan event? I hope our church has an easter egg hunt as I have always enjoyed them.

My former church had an annual Easter Egg Hunt. But my current one is not. So - are you returning to your childhood with Easter Egg Hunting interests?

[Dr. Rich]

Here's what one church near me is doing:

http://tdn.com/news/local/seventh-day-ad...1a4bcf887a.html

sounds like a great event. But I wonder where they got the three and a half years of the life of Jesus from? When I researched this from the bible itself, I could only come up with ONE year. He cleaned the temple at the start of His ministry and cleaned it again at the end--and that is ONE year.

[Dottie]

Our family likes to go to Southern Adventist University, where they annually have "Sonrise," a major production which involves the whole campus. It was originally started by a couple who saw a need, and has grown year by year. It is so moving to be able to actually (seem) to be there during the last week of Christ's life.

We aren't going this year. Things have been happening in our family so that I forgot until this afternoon, when Sonny asked if we were going.

Our church is having an Agape Feast tomorrow night, but it is not a communion and foot-washing service. On Sabbath, there will be a musical service, with our church "Praise Team" (choir) and it usually includes participants from other churches. It is put on professionally, and is impressive. Pot luck will follow.

[Woody]

Our family likes to go to Southern Adventist University, where they annually have "Sonrise," a major production which involves the whole campus. It was originally started by a couple who saw a need, and has grown year by year. It is so moving to be able to actually (seem) to be there during the last week of Christ's life.

We aren't going this year. Things have been happening in our family so that I forgot until this afternoon, when Sonny asked if we were going.

Our church is having an Agape Feast tomorrow night, but it is not a communion and foot-washing service. On Sabbath, there will be a musical service, with our church "Praise Team" (choir) and it usually includes participants from other churches. It is put on professionally, and is impressive. Pot luck will follow.

Cool ....

[Woody]

http://www.atoday.org/article/1109/news/...-coming-weekend

[Gerr]

What is your church doing?

Are we supposed to?

[Kevin H]

Originally Posted By: Woody

Here's what one church near me is doing:

http://tdn.com/news/local/seventh-day-ad...1a4bcf887a.html

sounds like a great event. But I wonder where they got the three and a half years of the life of Jesus from? When I researched this from the bible itself, I could only come up with ONE year. He cleaned the temple at the start of His ministry and cleaned it again at the end--and that is ONE year.

The book of John has Jesus starting his ministry on the day of atonement with the phrase "Behold the lamb of God which scapegoats the sins of the world" (according to linquists the literal translation of "behold the lamb of God whch taketh away the sins of the world") then has 3 passovers with Jesus dieing on the third passover. Thus making 3 1/2 years.

[Kevin H]

In 1986 and 1987 when I was in the Army and stationed at Ft. Lewis a church in Tacoma Washington use to have me come on good friday where we would set up the tables as a triclinian and serve food like a first centuary Passover and I'd talk about some archaeological findings of the last supper and passion closed by the pastor holding communion. Have not had a chance to do that program since with working eveings and nights and weekends. I have sometimes preached on the events.

Last year I gave a short talk with slides of the last supper and crucifiction and then had a magic trick of 3 cards with crosses, two black and one red. All 3 placed into a tomb and took out one black cross and talked about the one thief, took out the second black cross and talked about the second thief, looked for the red cross but did not find it, asked if I dropped it and looked around the floor, then going back into the tomb again and saying I wonder what happened to it, all I ffind is this" and pull out a card saying "He is not here" then I turn the card around and it says "He has risen!" and I show the tomb empty" Tomorrow I'll be doing a trick of a clean container of water, but it becomes dirty, but I put the cross in it and it becomes clear again.

[Dr. Rich]

Hmmm? Not in my bibles Kevin. John 2:19 was at the start of Jesus' ministry where He first cleaned His Father's house. Matt. 21:12 is at the end of Jesus' ministry where He again cleaned His Father's house. Both were just before the Passover and one of the commands of God was to have your house in order and by cleaning it of all sin. This is WHY Jesus did this twice, at the start of His ministry and at the end of His ministry. You will not be able to find another place where Jesus did this Kevin. Therefore, it is clear from the eyewitness' testimony of Jesus' ministry that it was only for ONE year and not the 3 and a half years commonly beieved today.

Interestingly, Peter confirmed this ONE year ministry recorded by Climentine in his homely 17-19.

[Woody]

Happy Good Friday ---

"I believe that by dying [Jesus] released into the world an entirely new kind of life, his kind of life, that has flowed down through the tragic centuries like water through a dry land, making alive and whole all who will only kneel to drink. That is the only reason it is not blasphemy to speak of the Friday of his unspeakable death as Good Friday.” —Frederick Buechner

[Kountzer]

We're having sabbath services tomorrow, the day before Easter. No services are held on sunday.

[OzarkWoman]

Easter is a Pagan holiday!

[Woody]

Pagan to those who choose to have it pagan.

Sacred to those who choose to have it sacred.

[phkrause]

Easter is a Pagan holiday!

Even though I do agree with you OW, I try to think about the resurrection and what that means to all people, not just those that except Jesus as the Savior. I don't always except the time, I do by the Jewish Passover period, much closer at times than the Easter time frame. Not wanting to disrupt this thread with a discussion between Passover and Easter. But these are my thoughts about Easter. Christ dying on Friday and than being Resurrected of Sunday. But if you don't want to observe Easter that's OK too. It has to be something that we believe within our own hearts not some else telling us what is right or wrong about Easter. Hope this helps a little. Have a great weekend and especially a great Sabbath, or as my Jewish relatives would say Shabbat Shalom.

[Liz]

Pagan to those who choose to have it pagan.

Sacred to those who choose to have it sacred.

I also liked what PK had to say, but I don't know how to do multiple quotes. :)

[John317]

Easter will never be anything but a day for pagan worship. Only God can make something holy. People can't make a day holy. Many people have the same misconception about Sunday. However, like Christmas, I think those times provide a great opportunity to bring people's attention to Christ and the hope of the resurrection.

[phkrause]

The book of John has Jesus starting his ministry on the day of atonement with the phrase "Behold the lamb of God which scapegoats the sins of the world" (according to linquists the literal translation of "behold the lamb of God whch taketh away the sins of the world") then has 3 passovers with Jesus dieing on the third passover. Thus making 3 1/2 years.

Not wanting to get into a spitting contest with Dr Rich, but you are correct. Jews usually don't acknowledge Jesus' Death and Resurrection, because they don't except him as the Messiah, but they do acknowledge, Messianic Jews at least, that he preached for 3 1/2 years. Which is prophesied in Daniel.

[Woody]

We are called to honor what is sacred.

The death and resurrection of Christ was certainly sacred.

Those that don't feel it is sacred - will call it pagan and that is their belief and right.

[Woody]

Ellen White instructed us that the resurrection was indeed sacred ... we as SDAs did not make it holy on our own. God told her is was indeed holy:

"The sacred facts of Christ’s resurrection were immortalized." {CTr 286.3}

[phkrause]

Easter will never be anything but a day for pagan worship. Only God can make something holy. People can't make a day holy. Many people have the same misconception about Sunday. However, like Christmas, I think those times provide a great opportunity to bring people's attention to Christ and the hope of the resurrection.

Excellent post John. I know that when I take my walks I usually say good morning or afternoon, depending what time of day. I have been trying to say happy resurrection day when walking on this particular Sunday, even though the day might not be exactly the right sunday.