happy easter, friends!
i think easter is the most understated
holiday. the resurrection of
Christ is central to my own life.
today we celebrated the death and resurrection
of Christ and all the blessings that
come to us through Christ’s substitution
for us on the cross.
oh, the beauty and richness of this day!
julia and i had a lunch at our apt.
apartment 1B hosts this easter
lunch/brunch every year. this year
was a lot like most easter afternoons
in manhattan…
COLD!
the day started at 37 degrees and got to
48 degrees at the warmest part of the
day. our guests did a smashing job of
enduring the chill and eating outside…
lunch AND dessert.
we gave in near the end and came in to
warm ourselves before the walk to
church.
we made the back yard quite pretty
with table clothes and jars of colorful
poppies. julia’s dad made us a fire
in our grill. it did a good job of keeping
our hands warm.
the food was delicious and i made
party-in-your-mouth punch for
the special occasion. it was a HUGE HIT!!
this is the punch we made for every
birthday party when i lived in china.
the recipe is engraved upon my mind
and i take great delight in making it…
and drinking it. oh, the memories of
sweet and festive birthday parties
of old that flow through my mind as i
make it…and drink it.
we had a wonderful mix of friends
that joined us:
scotty d
kevin
whitney & conrad
jordan & trevor
margret & matt
collin
marisa
amy
felicia & david
faith
cory & kari jo
cates children-bestsy, caroline, henry, nathan
jennings children-leah, daniel
hesiah
we even turned on the masters when
we came in to warm up. brianne would
say, “there’s nothing like watching the
masters on easter…it’s tradition!” i’m
sure she shed some happy sports tears
at the end of the sudden death playoff
this evening. the green jackets, the music,
the golfer fist pumps… she just loves it
all so much!
after lunch we brought everything in
and walked to the 5pm service at
redeemer.
and it was gooooooooooooood!
minister: alleluia! Christ is risen!
all: the Lord is risen indeed! alleluia!
three amazing testimonies were shared.
i’m talking AMAZING stories of God’s
redeeming work in people’s lives.
the music was off-the-hook!
really?!
yes, really
…our music is unbelievable!
like every year we sang
Christ the Lord is Risen Today,
by charles wesley, written in 1739
and we sang a song i just can’t get
enough of lately. i weep every
single time. i sing it to myself some
mornings. i hum it as i go to bed
some nights. i love this song so
much!!
In Christ Alone
in Christ alone my hope is found,
he is my light, my strength, my song;
this corner stone, this solid ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
what heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease.
my com forter, my all in all,
here in the love of Christ i stand.
in Christ alone, who took on flesh,
fullness of God in helpless babe!
this gift of love and righteousness
scorned by the ones he came to save.
and on the cross as Jesus died,
the wrath of God was satisfied.
forever sin on him was laid;
here in the death of Christ i live.
there in the ground his body lay,
light of the world by darkness slain;
then, bursting forth in glorious day
up from the grave he rose again!
and as he stands in victory,
sin’s curse has lost it’s grip on me;
for i am his and he is mine,
bought with the precious blood of Christ.
no guils in life, no fear in death,
this is the pow’r of Christ in me;
from life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny.
no pow’r of hell, no scheme of man,
can ever pluck me from his hand;
’til he returns of calls me home,
here in the pow’r of Christ i’ll stand!
woe! so good. so powerful.
that third stanza…oh. imagine
the blasting voices of hundreds of
worshiping people at the crescendo
on the middle three lines.
so so moving.
a little post church clean up with
the help of conrad and whitney,
and i called it a day. really julia
did all the washing… all credit
goes to her.
we did watch the end of the masters
and extreme home makeover with
lots of conversation mixed in.
it was a good and beautiful day.
even if i had no lovely people to
spend it with, no delicious food,
no kickin’ sermon by tim it would
still be a good and beautiful day,
for today my Savior and my God
was raised from the dead. that
means life for me! that means
peace now and forevermore for
me! what an indescribable and
gracious gift i’ve been given.
it is worth celebrating.
he is worthy of celebration, honor,
glory, and praise forever and ever.
AMEN
