The loud, boisterous alleluias have quieted down now, our Easter family gatherings have finished and the routines of normal life lie ahead of us. But Easter—as season, attitude and truth—isn’t done yet. In the coming weeks, we’re going to discover again how to recognize and live out our new-lives-in-Christ. One way to look at the coming Easter season? Something like a track athletes’MORE...
None of us would ever empty Easter of its power. Absent Easter’s premises and promises, the Christian life wouldn’t have much more to offer than a religion invented by science fiction writers or social malcontents. What, then, might happen if, after Easter had passed, we hadn’t changed one iota of our lives. Wouldn’t we be turning Easter into something artificial or empty? It would notMORE...
In a few days, members of Russian Orthodox churches will celebrate Easter. I’ve been trying to imagine how it might feel for them to experience Easter this year. These believers—and Christians of other faith communities—may find themselves in contexts similar to those faced by Jesus’ followers on that first Easter. Those first disciples lived in a country tightly controlled by tyrants andMORE...
From a minor theme in Eastertide, this question, “Who sacrificed their well-being to take care of Jesus’ body?” To say that another way, someone has to pay for the cost of preparing a corpse for burial. In some cultures, the death of a loved one can bring a family into poverty, perhaps made worse when the primary breadwinner has died. In Jesus’ case, Nicodemus paid for the burial site—giving awayMORE...
I have no desire to be a starfish. (What would I do with five arms?) But this wonderful sea creature does possess one trait that might be just a bit enviable. Like a number of other astounding organisms—e.g., lizards, salamanders, sea cucumbers—starfish can grow back limbs and other parts of their bodies that have been damaged or severed. The process is called *regeneration and it’s alwaysMORE...
Soon it will be Easter in Ukraine. It’s hard to think much beyond “How can that happen this year?” The country lies in ruins, made desolate by the warring mind of a desperate Russian dictator. Death is strewn across the landscape, in ways that perhaps stagger Ukrainians’ comprehension. “Resurrection’s victory” squeezes into a smaller mindset, perhaps even too small for imagination or hopeMORE...
Easter’s going to be uniquely significant this year. Perhaps that’s especially true for those beloved souls who will find their way back to worship on that Sunday. Sobering global, national or local events will call all of us to consider again what it means to be the people of God in this time and place. It’s likely that Easter worshippers will be especially ready for the Good News that EasterMORE...
Easter has come, but it’s not gone! The meaning of this incredible event includes a life-renewing invitation, perhaps directed at those of us who are fully vaccinated: “Can you come out to play?” Given all that we’ve been through this past year, “play” may seem like too strong a word for how we might live now. Fun and frivolity may feel like empty-headed avoidance of reality. Over thisMORE...
‘Tis Spring, when a young duck’s fancy turns to love. (Adaptation of classic seasonal adage) This pseudo-epigraph came to mind a few days ago when I saw a pair of ducks flying around together. Not going anywhere, not looking for anything—just enjoying the sheer joy of winging through the warm air with each other. These ducks were paired up—likely more than just a little bit attracted (orMORE...
This time around, Lent seems more focused, more tangible—perhaps more real?—for me. Almost like I’ve come back to Lent’s original nature or purpose. I’m tempted to think that this is especially true for older adults, but that’s probably not accurate: This time around, Lent is for all of us. Lent-like thoughts and feelings seem to have been tagging along with me for the past year. Deep sorrowMORE...
BOB SITZE has filled the many years of his lifework in diverse settings around the United States. His calling has included careers as a teacher/principal, church musician, writer/author, denominational executive staff member and meat worker. Bob lives in Wheaton, IL.