Never, in my whole entire life, have I worn a new dress on Easter. Today I am. I didn't buy it for Easter, but today is the first time to wear it. I'm wearing it as a symbol of being wrapped in the newness, freshness, and "all things new-ness" (I made that phrase up) of this day.
I love Easter! Easter speaks of new beginnings.
New life
Second chances
Of being rescued
Restoration of that which was dead, lost, broken
Hope
Growing up, I was always taught that Easter is a celebration of Jesus dying for our sins and then coming back to life again so that we could live forever. While that's all true, I've come to see that there is so much more. I think the Message version of 1 Peter 1 verse 3 says it well:
Every day, every moment, is the promise of a fresh start, of a new beginning, of our lives becoming all we were meant to be... Here. Now. Not just in some distant future. Easter is the promise of "all things new". And its in Jesus that we find the fulfillment of that hope.
May we each reach out today for the New Life that is offered to us each day, each moment, from now to eternity.
Are you doing anything in particular to symbolize the meaning of this day? I would love to hear about it!
I love Easter! Easter speaks of new beginnings.
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| Joelle created these colored eggs |
New life
Second chances
Of being rescued
Restoration of that which was dead, lost, broken
Hope
Growing up, I was always taught that Easter is a celebration of Jesus dying for our sins and then coming back to life again so that we could live forever. While that's all true, I've come to see that there is so much more. I think the Message version of 1 Peter 1 verse 3 says it well:
Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven.-- AND THE FUTURE STARTS NOW! (emphasis added)
Every day, every moment, is the promise of a fresh start, of a new beginning, of our lives becoming all we were meant to be... Here. Now. Not just in some distant future. Easter is the promise of "all things new". And its in Jesus that we find the fulfillment of that hope.
May we each reach out today for the New Life that is offered to us each day, each moment, from now to eternity.
Are you doing anything in particular to symbolize the meaning of this day? I would love to hear about it!
I was struck by your statement that you never, ever had a new Easter dress!! Now I know that isn't the point of your blog...But I remember in the culture that I grew up in, that everyone got a new Easter dress and sometimes, new shoes, new Easter hat, etc...etc...etc. It was a great time of "newness", of coming together as a church family to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. There are times I miss that. I know it, (like everything else) has gotten real commercialized, but there was something about that process that brought to life the concept of all things new! So.. I definitely understand why you decided to wear your new dress today! I rejoice this Easter in all things made new and celebrate new beginnings!
ReplyDeleteKathy, thanks for the comment. Very interesting to hear of your experience with new clothes and such! It just wasn't a part of my background to think about new clothes on Easter the way you identified. I can see how it could be meaningful, though. As with any sort of tradition I can see where it can lose its meaning and then it becomes less about the symbolism and more about the fashion show :)
ReplyDeleteI thought it was just a conservative Mennonite thing to not have new clothes for Easter. It's not that we weren't allowed to. It's just that it wasn't something we connected with thoughts of Easter. We knew the Easter story and were appreciative of what Christ did for us, but Easter was more about getting together with family and all the good food we were going to eat at my grandparents.
ReplyDeleteBut your comment that stood out to me most is the realization that Jesus died for more than our spiritual salvation. (Granted, that is the most important.) But he died to give us a better life on Earth also. That has been a new concept that I have been learning in the last… about five years or so.
Thanks for sharing what were meaningful traditions for you surrounding Easter :)
DeleteYes, I think many of us grew up with an incomplete picture of what it means to be a Christian... it had more to do with eternity and less about the here and now (except for trying to avoid the big sins on a daily basis). I love that being a follower of Jesus holds wonderful, hopeful, meaningful and purposeful possibilities for each day.