Listen

May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed! On account of his vast mercy, he has given us new birth. You have been born anew into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. You have a pure and enduring inheritance that cannot perish—an inheritance that is presently kept safe in heaven for you. Through his faithfulness, you are guarded by God’s power so that you can receive the salvation he is ready to reveal in the last time.

1 Peter 1:3-5

Think

I wonder how many of us fall into the trap of treating Easter like an annual tradition that simply means going to church (maybe as early as sunrise), singing the familiar songs, having a good meal with family, and perhaps even an egg hunt in the yard. We like it and know what to expect. It’s comforting. We do the celebratory thing and then almost immediately resume ordinary life and pick up wherever our to-do list tells us to continue.

Peter frames it differently. New birth through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I fear we have over-traditionalized that which God intended to be transformative. Resurrection offers a chance to live into a new way of being, a chance to be changed, to live life differently. Christ is risen, Christ is risen indeed! Let us make these words more than a call and response one Sunday morning per year, but a way of living that gives this whole world hope that things can, will, and must be different. This is our hope and our calling.

Neil Myer

Question to Ponder:

How can Easter become more than just an annual tradition, but a way of living?

Pray

Dear God, I pray that Easter may not be just another day on the calendar. Help me to be open to the life-changing possibilities of the resurrection. Transform me, O God, and make me more like Christ. Amen.

Go

Christ is risen!

Christ is risen indeed!

Live into hope.

Practice resurrection.

New life awaits.