Celebrate Jesus’s Return to Heaven, Which Prepares the Way for Pentecost In my post The Four Main Christian Celebrations, I list for holy days (holidays) that smartly recognize Jesus and succinctly outline the key elements of his life and what he did for us. These Christian holidays are: I wonder if I should add Ascension […]
Celebrate Resurrection Sunday Easter is a celebration, not of chocolate eggs and fluffy bunnies, but of the greatest event in history. Christians everywhere know what this is, and we use big words and confusing terms to explain it. Most people outside our circles don’t have a clue what we’re saying. Sometimes we don’t either. Jesus‘s […]
Should Christians Focus on Worshiping Jesus Who Suffered or Jesus Who Rose from the Dead? As we moved through Lent to approach Holy Week we anticipate four significant days: Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter (which some call Resurrection Sunday). The last two, Good Friday and Easter, stand as momentous occasions for all […]
We’ve Lost Christmas as a Spiritual Celebration. Let’s Not Lose Easter Too Recently some groups have banned Easter egg hunts—not the activity but the name. Concerned pundits decry this as political correctness gone awry or the timid majority kowtowing to the vocal minority. Although “spring egg hunt” sounds lame, this new label doesn’t dismay me. […]
Moving Toward Good Friday and Easter This week, many in the Christian community will observe Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the season known as Lent, a solemn journey towards Easter. For some followers of Jesus, Ash Wednesday is little more than a notation on their calendar, whereas, for others, it is a meaningful spiritual […]
Churches Move and Things Change We started visiting fifty-two churches the Sunday after Easter. We celebrated the resurrection of Jesus at our home church and then slipped away for a year, visiting a different Christian church every Sunday for a year. At least that’s the quick way to explain our journey. We doubled up on […]
He Has Risen! Today’s passage: John 20:1–18 Focus verse: Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18) Jesus dies. His body is prepared for burial and his human shell is placed in a tomb. A large stone seals the entrance. But this isn’t the end. In many […]
Embrace the Season of Lent in a Fresh Way Many Christians and churches celebrate the season of Lent to remember Jesus and his passion for coming to earth to die for us and our sins. This is a gift to us and not something we need to earn. When we accept Jesus’s present, he makes […]
Embrace Annual Cycles of Worship to Provide a Regular Rhythm to Our Faith Journey Some churches follow a church calendar throughout the year to guide them into seasons of worship. This provides an annual rhythm to their embrace of God. Other churches are less structured in their approach, focusing on two major biblical holidays: Christmas […]
On Pentecost Sunday God Gives Us the Holy Spirit Pentecost Sunday occurs fifty days after Resurrection Sunday (Easter). It’s a significant event in the early church. That’s when the Holy Spirit comes upon Jesus’s followers in an extraordinary way. The Holy Spirit empowers team Jesus to share his good news with others with amazing power. […]