Easter is such a fun day of the year. Growing up as a kid we had some really fun Easter traditions in my house. I remember waking up every Easter morning with so much excitement just waiting to see what the Easter Bunny had brought that year. As I stepped out of my room into the hallway and headed toward the dining room, I could see the fake green Easter grass all over the table.
Each year the dining room table had Easter baskets for each of my six siblings and myself that were full of Peeps, jellybeans, and chocolate eggs. There was more candy in those baskets than any kid should eat in their lifetime. Later in the day we would make some hard-boiled eggs and decorate them with stickers and dye.
Of course, the most anticipated moment of the day was the classic Easter egg hunt. My parents would always hide hundreds of Easter eggs (filled with even more candy) all over our backyard. When they opened the back door, the contest was on to see who could get the most eggs and the most candy (and the most future cavities). Easter was always such a fun day and I always wished that it would last longer than it did.
As I grew older, I began to realize that Easter was something I could celebrate every day because it was about so much more than just a mysterious bunny that shows up and leaves you an endless supply of colorful plastic eggs and Peeps. As nice and fun as all of that stuff is, the reality is that the true Easter story is the greatest story ever told, and is the most significant day in the history of the world. What happened on Easter Sunday was so significant that it literally split time in two.
Easter is a celebration of the day that a man named Jesus, who had been buried in His grave for three days, conquered death and rose victoriously in glory. That Easter morning, death died. Not only did He defeat death and conquer the grave, but also through His resurrection He made a way for all people throughout all history to have new life. No longer would the end of every story be plagued by death. The reality is that Jesus’ victory is our victory. His resurrection proved to the world that He was the Son of the living God and that He is alive today.
It seems strange that we would give so little time, thought, and consideration to such an incredible death-defeating story and instead replace it with a made up story about a magical bunny that brings us candy. Could you imagine if we began to tell our kids that Independence Day was actually about a magical unicorn or that Memorial Day was about Bigfoot? If someone actually believed that, wouldn’t you want to share with him or her true meaning?
On Easter Sunday (April 21) we would like to invite you to join us at The Story as we gather together to celebrate the true meaning of Easter. We will be sharing the story of the victory and hope we have through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Our gathering times are 9AM and 11:15AM and we are located at 318 B Street. We have a super fun kids program for infants all the way through elementary school, and yes, there will be a huge Easter egg hunt for the kiddos. Coffee and donuts will be provided as well, and don’t feel the need to dress up because our vibe is super casual. If you have any questions or want more information, you can check out our website at www.thestoryashland.org, and you can find us on Instagram or Facebook (@thestoryashland) as well. We look forward to seeing you Easter Sunday for this special celebration.
