Let us pray…
You are the One to whom we may go. You are the place where we find refuge as well as call. Yours are the hands in which we are held in grace. When trouble comes, may we not be troubled. May we trust in you, and travel with us. In Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture…
- Luke 24:44-53
- Psalm 104:24-34
- Jeremiah 2:12-13
- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
- Numbers 11:24-30
- Acts 2:1-21
- 1 Corinthians 12:3-13
Ecumenical Prayer Calendar
- Sudan, Uganda
Christ is Risen!! ... Now what?
We celebrate Easter for the next 50 days! The “Great Fifty Days of Easter” is the period between the resurrection of Jesus and the day of Pentecost.
During this time we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The season and even the name “Easter” were “borrowed” from pre-Christian days. People have always adapted symbols from surrounding religions and made them their own—early Christians were no different! The name “Easter” has an uncertain origin. Many believe it comes from the Anglo-Saxon goddess of renewal of life in spring, Eostre or Eastre. Since Christ’s resurrection signifies our renewal of life, it would not be surprising for us to adopt the name and celebration for our purposes.
We can date the resurrection to the spring, because it followed the celebration of Passover in the spring. Passover may fall on different days of the week. The early Jewish Christians celebrated the day of the resurrection on the third day after Passover regardless of the day of the week, but the Gentile Christians insisted that it be celebrated on Sunday. In 325 C.E. the Council of Nicea set the date of celebration as the first Sunday after the full moon crosses the spring equinox. That date may vary by as many as thirty-five days, and so sometimes Easter comes in March and sometimes in April. Some Christians in other parts of the world use different dates.
The colors associated with the Easter season are white and gold. White signifies the purity and newness of victory over sin and death, and the gold (or yellow) symbolizes the risen Christ who came to enlighten the world. Gold also symbolizes Christ as king.
