Dear Friends,
Happy Eastertide and many blessings! Christ is Risen! Alleluia! – But now what?
Christ’s return is a big deal, the biggest deal, as it were, but here’s the thing: unlike the Disciples, we don’t get the spend the next many weeks talking with and physically encountering the Risen Christ. Yes, we hear those stories in the lectionary of these vital moments, but how do we maintain the Easter spirit in our own lives?
Staying present with the miracle of Resurrection is a challenge in any number of ways. We are all tired, so tired, whether we work in churches, hosted family for the holiday, or just spent Easter chasing around sugared up children. (As the host of the Easter Egg Hunt, You’re Welcome.)
So, how do we do it? I’m not going to pretend I totally know - mostly I am trying to keep my very tired head above water, but I have a few ideas.
Attend to the Season! It’s fairly easy to hold on to the fact that Christmas is 12 days because that’s a fairly short period of time, but also because it’s a period of days in which many of us are able to take time away from our ordinary lives, as the actual day of Christmas is followed by New Year’s breaks and school holidays. Easter, however, is FIFTY days, which is so many, and we’re hurried back into our normal activities. BuildFaith encourages us to embrace special Easter greetings, spend time outdoors in the improving weather, and otherwise engage in the joyful spirit of these fifty days.
Lean Into The Resources: Last Easter season I was recovering from COVID for a second time, having developed severe anemia, and this newsletter went on hiatus. The thing was, I felt okay about that because Easter is a well-resourced time, and I don’t just mean that single day. There’s so much available that can help us move through these days carrying a little less of a burden. Make use of things like Illustrated Ministry’s free Mini Revolutions lesson for Easter II, the activities pack for books like Glenys Nellist’s Twas the Morning of Easter, or get outside with Muddy Church programming.
Trust The Body: Yes, I am writing you from bed. Yes, I could use a nap. Yes, my seasonal allergies in conjunction with my disabilities are kicking my butt. But that’s okay. If there is anything the Resurrection teaches us, especially this Sunday, it is that the body holds a lot of truth. When Thomas encounters Jesus in the Upper Room and touches his wounds, he experiences something profound. Trust your own body this season. Help the children in your life feel more deeply what their own bodies are communicating. Seek sources of regulation, whether that’s a warm shower, a walk, or a ride on a swing (my favorite).
Other Notes
Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
As you may recall from my pre-Easter emails, my Good Friday program involved a Sensory Stations of the Cross. It was a powerful, moving program, and I have notes! Several people have asked about it, so please feel free to reach out if you want to know more about what that looked like. The below balloons are the final station, the joyful moment in which the stone is rolled away and surprise and joy are all that remains in the face of resurrection. (Appropriately, there was also some fear that an actual man was about to jump out of the pile of tablecloths in the middle of our hall.)
Glenys Nellist has a new book! Baptized in the Water is a gorgeous book about the different ways we are welcomed into God’s great family through baptism. Get a copy for your family or community, enter the Goodreads giveaway, and, as always, grab the activity guide. The fact that Nellist ALWAYS has a beautiful activity guide is one of my favorite things about her books!
Finally, I wanted to highlight an ongoing project of the Godly Play Foundation, the Beloved Me, Beloved We Initiative. I’ll be in community with this group next week as we audit a number of materials for bias and consider what it means to build a more inclusive circle.
That’s all for now, friends. Relax into God’s love and into the joy of the Easter season.
Peace!
Bird