Before the main topic today, here is a friendly reminder about our Leviathan Writing Contest. Also, we wrote a second sample story.

resurrection

There is no way to overstate the impact of the resurrection of Christ. It was a cataclysmic shock to the forces of wickedness. They … will … never … recover. Glory to God in the highest! The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus was a triumph so marvellous, so profound, that we can enjoy spending eternity in growing realization of the beauty and majesty of this one event.

If we cannot celebrate the resurrection of the Messiah, then there is nothing we can celebrate. Some say there is nothing we can celebrate. That is between them and God.

You may be imagining Easter bunnies and eggs. That is one celebration we shun completely. Easter just happens to be around the same time of year as the Resurrection. This, and Halloween, are all but removed from the days of the year, for our family.

Really, we celebrate the Resurrection every Sunday, but this article is about the yearly observance. We celebrate Resurrection Sunday with a feast. We usually have lamb roast, succotash, veggie tray with almond dip, and bread rolls. Before that day, we have a series of Scriptures we read, in the preceding days, regarding the passion week. We also have a foot washing service and communion, within our family, on Wednesday evening. You may have been told that communion must be done at church. That is a tradition, not scriptural. Please feel free to limit your participation in communion to within the four walls of a church building, but it would be good to also take care not to cast stones.

Yes, we literally wash each others feet. We each have a turn washing, and being washed. The boys wash the boys, and the girls wash the girls. We don’t make a complicated ceremony out of it. We just do what Jesus said to do, “If I then, your Lord and master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.” We can see your point, if you want to interpret this as figurative language, and to be taken as an example to be a humble servant. We agree with that, and follow that teaching. It would be just like Jesus, just like our Heavenly Father, to also mean this literally. Why not practise this as a dramatic lesson? Once a year is not very often.

For each of our children’s first Resurrection Sundays, they receive a lamb stuffie, as a gift. For the second, they get their own Bible story book. After that, each year, they go on a “Papa date.” These dates start soon after Resurrection Sunday. I take each of the children, individually, on a short trip, we have a sack lunch meal, and we talk about the Resurrection during part of the trip. Often our destination requires us to wait for a day with good weather, so it can take some weeks for everyone to get their turn. That is OK, there is no hurry. Some time before Resurrection Sunday, I will have spent some time meditating about the Resurrection, worshipping God. I pray for Him to guide me as we have our discussions during the dates. I also pray for Him to give me a topic of discussion, regarding the Resurrection. We usually talk about this on our way home, so we talk about other stuff before that.

This year, we are planning to go to the Fota Wildlife Park (Cork’s zoo) for our dates. In past years, we have gone to Multnomah Falls (Oregon), Pacific coast lighthouses (Washington), Cork City Gaol Museum, Garryvoe beach, Youghal beach, Gougane Barra park, James Fort, Charles Fort, and tours of Barryscourt Castle, for example.

Each child plans ahead what kind of sandwich they want. I almost always have the same kind of sandwich that they pick. In place of a salad, we have carrot sticks. They get to pick what kind of biscuits (cookies) they want us to have for dessert. There are occasions when I have been able to have two dates in one day, one at lunch time and one at dinner, so I get two desserts that day. We also let them pick out some sort of chips to go with the meal, and they can have pickles too, if they like.

Later, we may try to make a family trip to the same location, so my wife can enjoy them showing her their favourite things about the place.

1 Corinthians 15:14 And if Christ be not risen, then [is] our preaching vain, and your faith [is] also vain.

1 Peter 1:3-5
3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

John 11:25-26
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

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