| Author | Message | ||
| Bob Registered user Username: Bob Post Number: 133 Registered: 7-2000  |
For your meditation on this Palm Sunday: "We wave palms because we have long awaited God's deliverance and now we're within 7 days of it. We wave palms because Jesus shows us life-saving answers when we feel crushed by problems threatening to overcome us. We wave palms because Jesus has set us free from the destructive longings of our fallen nature. We wave palms because,like the pilgrims who came to Jerusalem and gave thanks for their healing by Jesus, we too can really be healed in body, mind, and spirit." -- Kevin Gray May all of you experience a blessed Holy Week, and a joyous Easter. Bob | ||
| Riverfonz Registered user Username: Riverfonz Post Number: 60 Registered: 3-2005 |
Bob, A hearty Amen to your post above for Palm Sunday. Stan | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 1636 Registered: 12-2003  |
Thank you, Bob! I've grown to love Holy Week, and Easter is in many ways better than Christmas. What an amazing God we serve! Colleen | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 1713 Registered: 11-2002 |
O.K., now I'm totally confused. So, please explain. Possibly Bob as Bob started this discussion. Back around 40 days ago I started a discussion called Lent. I learned on that thread that most folks on this board to not get into Lent. In my understanding Holy Week is an extension of Lent. Since you also partisipate in the palm leaves aspect of Palm Sunday do you also have the Maunday Thursday service? How about the Passing of the Cross at 3:00 p.m. in the darkend church on Good Friday? Is Holy Saturday an annual day of sorrow? And, then the great resurrection, He is Risin, He is Risen Indeed? Do you partisipate in the whole shebang? And, if not, then how come? If not, how do you figure out what aspects of Easter to take part in and what aspects to not bother with? Just courious. Thanks for explaining. | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1230 Registered: 3-2004  |
This is my first time celebrating The Resurrection in a Christian church. So all of this is new to me. I am looking forward to our special Easter service at church. I like to learn how other Christians celebrate this holy day. It sounds to me that it is done differently, some starting a week before Easter, Lent and other ways I know nothing about. So please tell me how your congregation celebrates the Resurrrection. God is awesome. Diana | ||
| Insideoutsider Registered user Username: Insideoutsider Post Number: 31 Registered: 6-2002 |
Hi Susan, I really can't answer for other churches. We do Palm Sunday, Good Friday services and I believe on Sunday, there will be five services, two extra to accomdate friends who have been invited. On Palm Sunday the children carry in the palms and wave them. This year my next to youngest grandchild, Mary, who is three got to participate. Evidently they told the children last week as my daughter in law said Mary has awakened at dawn the last three mornings asking "Is it Palm Sunday yet?" It is a wonderful thing to live half your life and find out there is a magnificent, awesome Holiday out there (that has been available for 2000 years) that now includes you. He is risen Indeed! Jan | ||
| Bob Registered user Username: Bob Post Number: 135 Registered: 7-2000 |
Many Evangelical churches, such as mine, celebrate the Biblical meaning of Holy Week and Easter, but not liturgically, as the Lutherans, Episcopalians, and Catholics do. Generally speaking, Evangelicals do not as closely follow the "church calendar." Next Sunday my church will hold its Easter service outdoors in the park next to our church. We expect an attendance of ten to twelve thousand. Bob | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 341 Registered: 4-2000  |
Bob, Your last sentence about anticipating 10 to 12 thousand worshippers is truly awesome. HE IS RISEN INDEED! Dennis Fischer | ||
| Bob Registered user Username: Bob Post Number: 136 Registered: 7-2000 |
Dennis, on a normal Sunday, our worship attendance exceeds 5,000. Of course, many nominal Christians only go to church on Easter and Christmas, sadly. But at least they are in church on those special days to hear the Gospel! Today was our last day to worship in our old (small) worship center. On the first Sunday after Easter, we will be in our new 3000+ seat auditorium. | ||
| Tracey Registered user Username: Tracey Post Number: 282 Registered: 9-2004 |
I prefer the term Resurrection Sunday. Mainly because I am picky on words and I never researched what the term Easter meant. I like to be accurate if at all possible. I think I will invite C to the program. I actually do not usually attend b/c I felt like I celebrate that He has risen every day of my life. Really the crowds just drive me nuts so I don't go, but b/c my life is centered around His resurrection, I have never felt like I was missing anything on that day though.. I will go this year though and invite C. Tracey | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 1714 Registered: 11-2002 |
A bit here about Easter and SDA schooling. My wonderful little granddaughter is seven and is in first grade at a very small SDA school. So last week (I am relating this story as I understood it. Remember my d-i-l is just learning English so we have a communication lapse between us sometimes.) My d-i-l went to the teacher to ask what she could do to contribute to the Easter celebration and the Easter program. The teacher told my d-i-l that they are SDA, they don't do Easter. D-i-l had said to the teacher, "I thought the SDA was Christian. I went to Christian school from first through 12th grades. Easter is Christian. It's when Jesus got alive again. Why don't you do Easter if you say you are Christian?" My d-i-l thinks the teacher just didn't want to deal with her as the teacher had brushed her off and told her that yes, the SDA are Christian, they are the real Christians and if she wants to know more about it she should make an apointment with the minister and have him explain it. So, d-i-l asked me if the SDA's believe Jesus became alive again after He was killed. I told d-i-l that yes, the SDA's do believe Jesus became alive again but it's not much of a big deal to them. The focus of the SDA religion is not that Jesus became alive again but their focus is on when He comes to earth next time and trying to figure out prophecy. Whadda ya all think, did I explain it right? Remember, this is a young lady who knows limited English and until she met my son had never heard of the SDA religion and had never known a SDA. Needless to say, after I told her what I did she said something about Jesus becomming alive is the main teaching of Christianity. She said a few other observations of hers about the SDA religion as well as various SDA people she's gotten to know during the past few years but the other comments might make the lurkers misunderstand her reasoning so I think the other comments are best left between me and d-i-l. This is the same one that I mentioned on prayer answers yesterday who thought the Proclamation! that came in yesterdays mail was SDA trash, but I let her know it was good and to not throw it out. And, you know, over the years I have had several people ask me in confusion about Adventism if SDA's believe in the Ressurrection. It is true that sermons about the Risin Christ are few and far apart in most SDA churches. The focus in Adventism just plain is not on our Risin Saviour. | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1234 Registered: 3-2004 |
My church, your sister church Bob, will have 2 services Saturday evening instead of one and 4 services on Sunday, instead of 3. So we are expecting a large turnout also. Usually all services are packed. We have a large auditorium, but I do not know how many it holds. Tracey, I will be praying for you and "C". I am really looking forward to Resurrection Sunday. That is a very good day to celebrate. Thank you Jesus. You are all I need and You are so awesome. Diana | ||
| Bob Registered user Username: Bob Post Number: 139 Registered: 7-2000 |
Diana, today I learned that your pastor, Jud Wilhite, will be speaking at a conference to be held at my church on May 24-26. (It is the western regional conference of the North American Christian Convention.) Bob | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1237 Registered: 3-2004 |
Will you be going to it? Do you know Jud? I mean do you and he know each other by name? You know more of his schedule than we do. We have not heard about that yet. I really like his sermons. I learn so much from them. I thank God for him. Diana | ||
| Goldenbear Registered user Username: Goldenbear Post Number: 77 Registered: 12-2004 |
As I was riding to Church today, the Christian radio station in our town mentioned that the song was appropriate for Palm Sunday. That really got me thinking about how, during much of my life, I haven't celebrated Easter. In fact, I believe that most of the time we talked about it in church in was in the context of "While the rest of Christendom celebrates Easter..." As in most things there was a negative spin to the observation. As if casting negative connotations on the celebration would keep people from seeing the beauty of the season. Really, the only reason that I could see that they did this, is that celebrating Easter would recognize Christ arising on Sunday and that would somehow give credence to the worship on Sunday. I do have to say, for the first time going to church during the easter season outside of the ADventist church, I started to understand the cross and its significance. | ||
| Bob Registered user Username: Bob Post Number: 140 Registered: 7-2000 |
Diana, here is the web link that has all the information about the convention: http://www.nacctheconnectingplace.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=1&tabid=117 I would like to attend, but the registration fee for the weekend is about $100, and right now I am not sure I can accomodate the expense in my budget. Bob | ||
| Melissa Registered user Username: Melissa Post Number: 801 Registered: 7-2003  |
Susan, for the first time this year my church is doing the maundy Thursday service. Since we've never done it before, I'm not sure what to expect. I don't really understand what the purpose of Lent is, so I don't understand it's basis for celebration. We are also having "stations" at church on Friday, where you can come and go at will. Each station is to tell the story of the different places Christ was taken that day through his mock trial, etc leading to the crucifixion. It is a personal and intimate time that we have also never done before in this way. Our church has really been striving not merely to meet the secular Christian who only shows up at these holidays, but to really try to help personalize the reason for the holiday to begin with for everyone. Though there are a few traditions, it's all about finding a new way to tell the old story that might reach someone that hasn't been reached before. Like Paul says, becoming all things to win some. Whatever it looks like, as long as the goal is to remind people not only of the price paid for our sins, but the hope and victory in the resurrection, I think God is glorified. I suspect there are places that just put on a show, but I've never personally been to one, thankfully. However we recognize the resurrection at this particular time of the year, my only hope is we can bring some along who haven't known the joy that comes from knowing a RISEN savior. | ||
| Tracey Registered user Username: Tracey Post Number: 286 Registered: 9-2004 |
Melissa, Is lent a Catholic practice? GoldenBear, I will definitely ask C to Sunday service after you saying you began to understand the significance of the cross at that service. | ||
| Melissa Registered user Username: Melissa Post Number: 802 Registered: 7-2003 |
Tracey, I don't know. I don't know anything about lent. | ||
| Hoytster Registered user Username: Hoytster Post Number: 117 Registered: 9-2003 |
My Methodist church observes Lent, as does the Catholic church, Episcopalians, Lutherans, etc. It's mainstream, and while Catholics observe Lent, it's not Catholic. From dictionary.com: The 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday until Easter observed by Christians as a season of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter. Here's a good link: http://www.churchyear.net/lent.html And a quote from that link: Churches that have been influenced by the Radical Reformation, including Baptists, Pentecostals, and so-called "Non-Denominational" churches, have never observed Lent, probably because it is a "tradition" of the [Catholic] Church. Searching AdventistReview.com turned up NO instance of Lent (as opposed to the synonym for "loaned")... though the site's search facility doesn't not show the context with PDFs, so I cannot make that statement definitively. It may well spring from Adventism's rabid anti-Catholicism, or logically flow back from SDA's minimization of (Sunday's!) Easter. Lent is a good time to try to kick a bad habit. If you can successfully avoid something for 40 days, you're 95% there to quitting in toto. The tradition is to give up a sin. Chocolate is a popular "sin."  This Lent, I'm avoiding the peanut M&Ms in the vending machine at work. That may seem a little silly, but every afternoon that impulse hits, and I'm reminded of our Lord's sacrifice and resurrection, as I turn away from the candy. - Hoytster |
