He has risen!

What does Easter mean to you? Bunnies and eggs, Easter egg hunts, children's smiles, chocolates, communion, and sunrise worship service. What do these have in common?

Spring is the time to celebrate life, birth and renewal. For many Christians Easter is the time to celebrate the re-birth of Christ and all who chose to follow in His footsteps. This morning as I was greeting people coming into the worship service, I heard the greeting Happy Easter as a celebration of the life and resurrection of Jesus. It is a wonderful way to celebrate Easter, but the greeting was a bit shallow for me. "He has risen!" seems a much richer greeting so I will share it with all of my friends.

I had fun sending stickers and coloring pages to my grandchildren in Albuquerque as well as seeing the look of new adventures on a 1-year old's face as he peeked inside a plastic egg to find treats of Cheerios and crackers. Today is the celebration of all that is new, fresh, and innocent as I remember the reason I serve my family and community--because Jesus was the greatest example of sacrificial love.

Have a wonderful day!