Last Christmas eve I attended a candlelight service where 50 or so people came together to prepare their hearts for the celebration of Christ‘s birth.
I’ve attended many of these services over the years at many different churches and I like them. I like that we sing the traditional Christmas songs; I like that kids come in their pajamas in anticipation of the wild morning ahead; and I like how it makes me think back to more than 2,000 years ago when the world received the miracle of miracles.
As I walked into the foyer for that particular service, one of the sweetest ladies I know was the first to greet me. I was prepared to give her a hug and wish her a warm Merry Christmas.
But before I could extend a hand and offer a warm greeting, she took the initiative with this:
“Don’t tell me Merry Christmas. Say happy birthday, Jesus.”
And she meant it.
I remember the strong movement a few years ago against the “Xmas” phrase. And for the record, it’s a movement I support. It does, in fact, take the Christ out of Christmas. But Santa Claus isn’t the devil, and neither is the Easter bunny.
For the last few years, I’ve noticed a similar trend. Among many evangelical Christians, Easter has now become “Resurrection Sunday.”
It’s certainly true enough. Among all things, first and foremost, Easter is the time when we recognize the one aspect that makes Christianity unique among all other religions. We serve a living God, not one who is dead in the tomb, or worshiped as a stone carving. Christ is alive, and it’s a belief I hold to be as true as the air I breathe.
So Resurrection Sunday – it’s a good thing.
But what of the extremity of this … because I like Easter.
Ninety percent of the references I heard in my church yesterday were to Resurrection Sunday – not Easter. That’s fine, but when did Easter become such a bad thing that we go out of our way to avoid the word?
I don’t hate the Easter bunny…and I don’t believe Jesus would either.
He’s soft, cuddly and has that really cute cotton tail.
My grandmother loved flowers. She particularly loved the Easter lily. I wonder if it should now become the Resurrection Sunday lily?
I’m not anti-Resurrection Sunday.
But I am pro-Easter.
Hop on Peter Cottontail. Jesus loves you too.
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My guess is no one who says Happy Resurrection Day is anti-Easter. I know I’m not. Saying Happy Resurrection Day keeps me reminded of a. Resurrected Christ. Easter does too . I still say Merry Christmas but have no problem with Happy Birthday Jesus since it is the day set aside to celebrate Christ Jesus’ birthday.
As long as people respectively acknowledge Jesus I really don’t mind if they say Happy Easter or Happy Resurrection Day., or Merry Christmas or Happy Birthday Jesus..
Right … just as long as we don’t carry political correctness to the extreme.
very interesting discussion. we took the time yesterday to read up on the origins of Easter, and i think an ability to assess things based on knowledge is important (vs. blindly accepting). thank you for stopping by my blog.