Easter Sunday!

This Easter we read the story of the Resurrection from John 20 had a time of music worship and praise in the morning. Our get-together meal was a big breakfast meal with sausage and biscuits. We then had the kids go upstairs while we hid eggs around the yard (including the Resurrection Eggs in the picture). After the children went crazy looking for plastic eggs around the yard they split them up (we mark each egg with the initials of the child so they each get the same amount).

The Resurrection Eggs were placed back in the container and, setting the candy eggs aside, we opened up the Resurrection Eggs one at a time. Each plastic egg in the set contains a symbol of the Easter story including; the triumphal entry (a little plastic donkey), the betrayal of Jesus (three silver coins), the crucifixion (a cross fashioned from three nails), and so on to the last egg which is empty symbolizing the empty tomb. The amazing thing is that, after doing this activity for the last few years, the children can tell each part of the story (they are 8 and 6) from the triumphal entry to the resurrection with no help from an adult! We have used this set for just our family and for groups as large as fifty and it always holds every one's attention. Definitely worth the twenty bucks!

We have been enjoying reintroducing symbols and experiential worship to our get-togethers and will eventually move back into prayer stations. We don't think that this takes us out of the realm of 'simple church' as Jesus frequently used such means to get the message across to his listeners. He used the bread and wine to teach of his atoning sacrifice, seed and ground to describe the act of spreading the gospel, coins, fish, the temple, even a prostitute crying and kissing his feet! But instead of on a platform before a sardine can audience he used these things in everyday settings..."teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:7-9)"