EASTER – EACH WEEK?
Since this is scheduled to be passed out on the first Sunday in April – Easter, this year, I’ll begin with our familiar, joyous greeting:
P: HE IS RISEN!
C: HE IS RISEN, INDEED!
This is the highest feast of the Church Year, the Feast of the Resurrection. Ideally, the Church would be filled today. Realistically, because of COVID, the attendance still may not be as large as past years. We pray that the down-trend in cases and the vaccinations of many will begin increasing attendance in the coming months.
Yes, it is important that we, as Christians, remember that every Sunday is a celebration of Christ’s resurrection. We want to take serious God’s commandment to not “despise teaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.”
I remember often what my father said when I, as a youth, questioned going to church every Sunday, “God gives 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; we should take at least an hour or two to worship Him.
Of course we realize we can and should remember to keep Him in our hearts and lives at all times, even when not in church. However, formal worship is when we witness with fellow believers our faith and allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen us through Word and Sacrament.
As things begin to “open up: let’s pray that we all remember to also take the time to worship publically the One who has died and rose to assure us of eternal life.
Please allow me to close by changing the last word in a phrase from one of our hymns:
“No question will be asked How often we have come.
Although we oft have wandered, It is our Father’s house.”
LSB 915, 2nd half of verse 3
Rev. James W. Rhiver, Pastor
