Some churches pay more attention to the liturgical calendar than others. The Church of God draws a great heritage from a free church tradition which does not adhere slavishly to such things; however, because of our commitment to fellowship with all those everywhere who name Christ as Lord, more and more pastors and churches are keeping aware of such things; and of course, since the whole world changes its behavior during Advent, there is plenty of good reason to use that opportunity to remind people of the “reason for the season;” and likewise, during the run-up to Easter known as Lent (marked increasingly by observances of “Fat Tuesday” [Mardi Gras], the last day of feasting before the forty days of fasting traditionally begin the following day, Ash Wednesday, as observed by the more liturgical churches; perhaps you remember how this year TV reporters had trouble figuring out what the smudge on the forehead of Joe Biden, a Roman Catholic, was). But less attention is paid to Easter, a season that begins on the day we celebrate the Resurrection, and lasts 50 days until the feast of Pentecost. Pentecost marks the occasion of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as recounted in the second chapter of the book of Acts.
Easter, then, is not just one day, and it’s not all about eggs and rabbits and other signs of growth and fertility, borrowed from a more ancient series of observances that developed in Northern Europe. For those of us who are Christians, the events commemorated by these springtime observances serve as parables written in nature itself that illustrate a spiritual truth at the heart of our faith: that God’s greatest miracle is the bringing forth of life out of death. Christ arose! says the hymn, and at least in the northern hemisphere, we find all nature joining in the chorus with an Amen that resounds with flowers and fruit, birds and bees, lengthening days and sunshine warming hearts and homes.
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