Easter\'s for you (and your non-believing friends)
By Emily Lawson
Have you ever noticed how we love to celebrate? Whether it's birthdays or anniversaries, family gatherings for holidays or just because it's Friday, we love to make the most of life and have a great time.
But some of you may not be in the celebratory mood. Life has hit us hard these past two years, some harder than others, and for some it may not feel right to celebrate this Easter season. The One we worship has died and risen; He's conquered the grave and put death to death! Yet, as I type this blog just days after my dad's funeral, I know all too well the sting of death.
Wherever you're at (celebratory or solemn), this Easter is still for you. God’s greatest work, in the history of the world, is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Yet the resurrection is not the end of God's redemption story; it's merely the start. Yes, we know the words spoken on Good Friday: it is finished. But we also know that we, along with creation, are longing for our future redemption (Romans 8:22).
And therein lies the tension some of us feel. Easter is the best and biggest reason to celebrate. Without the resurrection, you and I would be dead in our sin and our faith would be futile (1 Cor 15:17). Yet each year as we stand beside the empty tomb, we catch only a glimpse of celebration, a taste of future hope. The world is still such a mess; sin still runs rampant. Disease and discord fill the news. Jesus' resurrection has whet our appetites, and we can't help but long for more.
With Easter just two weeks away, I want to encourage you to invite family and friends to join you for Creekside's Easter services. This is not a time to be shy, timid or in any way hold back. If the past week has taught me anything, it's that life is fragile and eternity awaits. People need to hear the hope of Jesus raised from the dead. They need to know that death does not have the final say; that there is hope beyond what we can see.
Easter does that for us. The resurrection makes all the difference in the world.
Creekside's Easter services are at 9 and 11 AM. You can find more info at creekside.com/easter. Feel free to download the image below and send to your friends and family, or post on your social media as a way of invitation. You can easily copy+paste the text below or write your own. You have the hope of the world. Don't hold back.
Have you ever noticed how we love to celebrate? Whether it's birthdays or anniversaries, family gatherings for holidays or just because it's Friday, we love to make the most of life and have a great time.
But some of you may not be in the celebratory mood. Life has hit us hard these past two years, some harder than others, and for some it may not feel right to celebrate this Easter season. The One we worship has died and risen; He's conquered the grave and put death to death! Yet, as I type this blog just days after my dad's funeral, I know all too well the sting of death.
Wherever you're at (celebratory or solemn), this Easter is still for you. God’s greatest work, in the history of the world, is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Yet the resurrection is not the end of God's redemption story; it's merely the start. Yes, we know the words spoken on Good Friday: it is finished. But we also know that we, along with creation, are longing for our future redemption (Romans 8:22).
And therein lies the tension some of us feel. Easter is the best and biggest reason to celebrate. Without the resurrection, you and I would be dead in our sin and our faith would be futile (1 Cor 15:17). Yet each year as we stand beside the empty tomb, we catch only a glimpse of celebration, a taste of future hope. The world is still such a mess; sin still runs rampant. Disease and discord fill the news. Jesus' resurrection has whet our appetites, and we can't help but long for more.
With Easter just two weeks away, I want to encourage you to invite family and friends to join you for Creekside's Easter services. This is not a time to be shy, timid or in any way hold back. If the past week has taught me anything, it's that life is fragile and eternity awaits. People need to hear the hope of Jesus raised from the dead. They need to know that death does not have the final say; that there is hope beyond what we can see.
Easter does that for us. The resurrection makes all the difference in the world.
Creekside's Easter services are at 9 and 11 AM. You can find more info at creekside.com/easter. Feel free to download the image below and send to your friends and family, or post on your social media as a way of invitation. You can easily copy+paste the text below or write your own. You have the hope of the world. Don't hold back.