Easter weekend, Part 2

The picture above is from the garden tomb in Jerusalem, where we were able to celebrate a sunsrise service on Easter a few years ago.  What a privilege that was for us!

It was a different kind of Easter this year, wasn't it?  I decorated my house, although no one was able to see the decorations I set out since we are all having to "stay-at-home". Well, I enjoyed them!  A friend made this empty tomb scene.  She had looked in stores for something that shows the REAL meaning of Easter. Not finding what she had envisioned, she made several of these.  She has since passed away from cancer.  She has seen - is seeing - Christ, the Risen One!!




During the week, our church had been sending out daily readings to point us to Easter and prepare us for this day.  I loved it!

This Easter no one would be dressing up in their new spring outfits and going to church.
                                          Church would come to us!

We took in the sunrise service that our church had.  Thank you, Pastor Kyle!

Allen and I decided to go for a walk around the pond.  Rain was in the forecast so we thought it would be good to go before the front moved in.

 It was beginning to sprinkle, but luckily we both had raincoats.  As we finished our walk detouring around the neighborhood, we saw the "Easter bunny" taking protection under the Emergency Management vehicle!

 The rain had begun by the time we got home, so we dried off and then watched the Easter service from Wisconsin where our son-in-law is a pastor.  Our daughter happened to be on the piano that morning.

 Their church has been memorizing Psalm 46.  Such a good Psalm to know in these troubled times. I remember my Dad reading this to Allen's mother as she was dying in the hospital.  At that time, she was my age that I am now.  64.

God is our refuge and strength, 

        an ever-present help in trouble. 

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way 

          and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 

though its waters roar and foam 

     and the mountains quake with their surging. 

 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, 

              the holy place where the Most High dwells. 

 God is within her, she will not fall; 

        God will help her at break of day.

  Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; 

              He lifts his voice, the earth melts. 

   The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. 

   Come and see what the LORD has done, 

           the desolations he has brought on the earth. 

   He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth.

   He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; 

   He burns the shields with fire.  

           He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; 

              I will be exalted among the nations, 

                  I will be exalted in the earth.” 

 The LORD Almighty is with us; 

       the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Church members sent in video clips of them saying this Psalm that was learned with actions.  It was so neat to see all the families and individuals together saying this Psalm of comfort.

Adam gave a clear message about the resurrection of our Lord and a call to believe in the Risen One!  You never know when it will be your time!

Sometimes those of us who have heard this story for years forget the shock of someone coming to life again who had been dead!  If the doorbell rang and I opened the door and saw my mother-in-law, I would faint away!  The truth is, she IS alive!  As is my father-in-law and my own parents.  They are with Christ!!  No wonder the disciples were willing to unashamedly and boldly share their faith in the One Who they saw come back to life!  Most died as martyrs - these men who had cowered in fear when Christ was arrested.

 Adam and Jill and a few others made a little worship video collage.
"What a wonderful Name it is"

After listening to Community Church's Easter service, we cast our church's Easter service onto our tv.

Pastor Jack spoke on the Risen Shepherd.  Jesus went through His own valley of the shadow of death.  His darkest moment, all for you and for me!  And He walks with us in our valleys!  

Our church also had a video montage.  Was there even such a thing before the pandemic?

"Praise the Father, Praise the Son, Praise the Spirit, three in one...

          Praise forever to the King of Kings."

Thank you, Grace Community Church!  We miss you all!  It was good to see all your faces!

We ate some lunch and then watched our 4th service! 
Our son's church, New Heights, in Arkansas.

A Gaither song!  This is from our era!  The words really fit for today!

Because He lives I can face tomorrow

Because He lives all fear is gone

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living just because He lives.

 The greatest sacrifice of love.
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."       Romans 5:8

A baptism during COVID19

Because of Christ's death and resurrection, we are no longer slaves!

In the evening, I watched this.

Although we didn't get to do the normal Easter egg hunt and pot luck with family, my heart was just FULL, praising the Lord for His goodness, for His rescue! 

And for a sweet ending to this weekend, the kids sent pictures of their kids!

Easter weekend, part 1

Easter during the pandemic - quite a different kind of Easter celebration.  No one to invite over; at least not in person.

On  Good Friday evening, we tuned in to our daughter's church service, given from their home.  

 Our granddaughters helped with the worship time.

On Saturday, a friend brought over some resurrection rolls!  Do you know what those are?  They are baked with a marshmallow inside of them.  When baked, the marshmallow melts, leaving an empty hole in the middle, empty like the grave. Click Here for the recipe.  

She also brought over her new little puppy, Susie Q.  Such a precious little puppy!!  It was hard to keep a 3-6 foot distance!

We took an afternoon walk at the college walking path.

We ran into our friends and their dog, Henly.

We heard some beautiful singing!  A brown thrasher was mimicking other birds.  A brown thrasher will repeat the melodic phrases twice, whereas a mocking bird will repeat their songs 3 - 7 times.

 When we got home, we prepared for our small group time.  We were going to have a lesson about the Passover via computer.

Sarah and Seth, who we met on the trail, also joined us, but I guess I didn't get a picture of them when they were with us.  Al shared what the Passover meal would have been like during the 1st century; how Christ and His disciples would probably have done it.  This is a feast that every Jew would go to Jerusalem for annually to remember the time when God rescued the Israelites from Egypt.  The angel of death passed over the families of the Israelites who covered their door posts with the lamb's blood.  

This feast was celebrated with family members.  This may have been the only time the disciples were not with their families at this feast.  Today, as Christians, we know that Christ, the Lamb of God, shed His blood for us and He has freed us.

John 1:29 

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"