Greetings Siblings in Christ,
As we enter the month of April, Easter Sunday draws near, and our 40 day Lenten journey will soon come to a close. On March 29, Palm Sunday begins our journey into Holy Week. A journey that begins with Jesus making his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, which ultimately will lead to his death on the cross on Good Friday. However, as most of us know, this is not the end of the story. On Easter Sunday, Christ is risen from the dead, and God’s glory is revealed to all the world.
As Christians, Easter Sunday is our most holy and important day of the year. It is the very foundation of the Church and the basis of our Christian faith. As Christians, we fight about a lot of things. However, we all can agree that Jesus died and was resurrected. Thus, Easter Sunday is indeed a day for us to celebrate and to remember! It is a day for us to observe together and be in worship together! It is a day that will never be forgotten. However, though it is a day that will never be forgotten, it is a day that is often misplaced. It is a day that we often have to look for because we often forget when it is happening. You see, Easter Sunday is not on a fixed day of the year. Since the fourth century, the traditional date of Easter for most Christians has fallen on the first Sunday after the first full moon that comes after the spring equinox. Thus, Easter Sunday can fall on any date from March 22nd to April 25th in any given year.
So, that sounds simple enough? Look for a full moon after the spring equinox then the next Sunday is Easter? Well, it is a little more complicated than that. In theory the statement above is true, but it has to follow ecclesiastical rules. The ecclesiastical rules are:
Nevertheless, my point in telling you all this is to show you all how complicated the calculation of Easter Sunday is. Thus, it is not a surprise that when we get to this time of the year that many people have to turn to the internet or to their calendars to confirm the date of Easter Sunday. However, I wonder how one would know that Easter Sunday was coming if we did not have the internet or calendar. I think back to hundreds of years ago when perhaps the common people did not have access to a calendar or maybe could not read a calendar. How would they know that Easter was coming? Well, hopefully their priest/pastor would make sure they knew. However, nevertheless they would have to be intentional in trying to find out the correct date for Easter. They would have to pay attention. Perhaps, they would need to listen. Perhaps, when they heard those shouts of “hosanna,” when they heard the cries yelling “crucify him,” when they heard the hallelujahs, perhaps then they would know that it was Easter. Thus, perhaps we do not need to fully understand when Easter is. I’m sure there are a few people who know the formula and they have no problem predicting Easter. However, there is something life-giving about having to guess each year when Easter comes. Perhaps it is a call in itself for us to stop and pay attention to what is happening in front of us. Maybe it is a call for us also to listen for the hosannas and the hallelujahs, and when we hear them we can know that Christ is at work in the world. We can know that Easter is near! That salvation and new life is right around the corner. And so, this year I invite you all to stop and listen, for Easter is indeed coming. Let us listen and follow the shouts. Let them lead us to the cross. Let them lead us to the empty tomb. Let them lead us to Jesus. Amen.
Peace and Blessings, Pastor Ethan Doan
As we enter the month of April, Easter Sunday draws near, and our 40 day Lenten journey will soon come to a close. On March 29, Palm Sunday begins our journey into Holy Week. A journey that begins with Jesus making his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, which ultimately will lead to his death on the cross on Good Friday. However, as most of us know, this is not the end of the story. On Easter Sunday, Christ is risen from the dead, and God’s glory is revealed to all the world.
As Christians, Easter Sunday is our most holy and important day of the year. It is the very foundation of the Church and the basis of our Christian faith. As Christians, we fight about a lot of things. However, we all can agree that Jesus died and was resurrected. Thus, Easter Sunday is indeed a day for us to celebrate and to remember! It is a day for us to observe together and be in worship together! It is a day that will never be forgotten. However, though it is a day that will never be forgotten, it is a day that is often misplaced. It is a day that we often have to look for because we often forget when it is happening. You see, Easter Sunday is not on a fixed day of the year. Since the fourth century, the traditional date of Easter for most Christians has fallen on the first Sunday after the first full moon that comes after the spring equinox. Thus, Easter Sunday can fall on any date from March 22nd to April 25th in any given year.
So, that sounds simple enough? Look for a full moon after the spring equinox then the next Sunday is Easter? Well, it is a little more complicated than that. In theory the statement above is true, but it has to follow ecclesiastical rules. The ecclesiastical rules are:
- The vernal equinox occurs on March 21,
- the ecclesiastical full moon is the 14th day of a tabular lunation (a fixed, pre calculated moment of a lunar cycle in a lunar calendar), and
- Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or after the day of the vernal equinox.
Nevertheless, my point in telling you all this is to show you all how complicated the calculation of Easter Sunday is. Thus, it is not a surprise that when we get to this time of the year that many people have to turn to the internet or to their calendars to confirm the date of Easter Sunday. However, I wonder how one would know that Easter Sunday was coming if we did not have the internet or calendar. I think back to hundreds of years ago when perhaps the common people did not have access to a calendar or maybe could not read a calendar. How would they know that Easter was coming? Well, hopefully their priest/pastor would make sure they knew. However, nevertheless they would have to be intentional in trying to find out the correct date for Easter. They would have to pay attention. Perhaps, they would need to listen. Perhaps, when they heard those shouts of “hosanna,” when they heard the cries yelling “crucify him,” when they heard the hallelujahs, perhaps then they would know that it was Easter. Thus, perhaps we do not need to fully understand when Easter is. I’m sure there are a few people who know the formula and they have no problem predicting Easter. However, there is something life-giving about having to guess each year when Easter comes. Perhaps it is a call in itself for us to stop and pay attention to what is happening in front of us. Maybe it is a call for us also to listen for the hosannas and the hallelujahs, and when we hear them we can know that Christ is at work in the world. We can know that Easter is near! That salvation and new life is right around the corner. And so, this year I invite you all to stop and listen, for Easter is indeed coming. Let us listen and follow the shouts. Let them lead us to the cross. Let them lead us to the empty tomb. Let them lead us to Jesus. Amen.
Peace and Blessings, Pastor Ethan Doan
