Resurrection Rejoicing

by Ginger Metz

Psalm 118:14-19

The Lord is my strength and my song,

and he has become my salvation.

There is a sound of exultation and victory

in the tents of the righteous:

The right hand of the Lord has triumphed!

the right hand of the Lord is exalted!

the right hand of the Lord has triumphed!"

I shall not die, but live,

and declare the works of the Lord.

The Lord has punished me sorely,

but he did not hand me over to death.

Open for me the gates of righteousness;

I will enter them;

I will offer thanks to the Lord.

Easter is coming! We’ve spent all this time in Lent pondering the desert. Now we are coming to REJOICE! Yes, we still have a few very solemn days ahead. Some of the darkest but we know the story. We know who is triumphant!

But this makes me think, how do we show this rejoicing? A few years ago, I stumbled upon an Orthodox monastery that streams services on YouTube. Let me tell you, their Easter celebration is amazing. The sanctuary is covered in flowers, and they are dancing and shouting “Christ is risen. Truly He is risen.”

N.T. Wright in his book, Surprised by Hope endorses such a celebratory response. He says, “Easter is about the wild delight of God’s creative power…we ought to shout Alleluias instead of murmuring them.”

This is the most holy of days, the most holy of times. Are we really embodying that spirit? Or does our attitude during Eastertide resemble Lent? Let’s start looking at calendars differently. Easter is more than a day; it’s a 50 day celebration until Pentecost. Maybe we should take this time and further the Kingdom. Let’s rejoice in art, plant a tree, start a garden, or maybe we just need a bit of self-care. As for me, I’m going to start learning a new skill, something I’ve wanted to learn for many years.

May we celebrate loudly our Risen Savior, the hope that we have and the beauty of the Kingdom.

Alleluia, Christ is Risen!