Christ the Lord is Risen Today!

Easter Sunday - the day we observe and celebrate Jesus being raised from the dead after dying on the cross for our sins.

Well, it's not like i never knew that, but i realised that at least up to today i have never (at least as far as i can remember) understood and been hit with a greater reality as to what this meant for me as a Christian.

Hmm this is very hard to put into words, it's something like while i always knew what we were commemorating each Easter Sunday, i didn't really take time to ponder upon what it meant, but was more of just going through the motions i guess.

Then today during service as i was meditating upon the word of the songs we were singing they started to hit me. Songs like "My Redeemer Lives" which i used to sing like all the time back in my, erm, youth (hey it was like ten years ago k...), and an even older one too, "Celebrate Jesus Celebrate"... And i was like "hey these songs that i've been singing for so many years - they are talking about Jesus' victory over sin and death here, the basis of my faith... it's really important and weighty stuff, not just happity clappity fluff (ok so i didn't think that last part)!" And so the words made so much more sense, all the more since it was Easter, and then, as has been the pattern of my general reaction to many of the songs sung at the Holy Week services this week, eyes got all watery again [though i must admit that especially for a guy my tear ducts are rather active - for example i tear up almost whenever i am tired - i just have to close and rub eyes a bit and the liquid will appear - think it's cos my eyes get dry so easily that have to moisten them or else my blinking will be accompanied by scratchy sounds (you should have seen me when i was a day or so in to my trip to Vegas - the combination of a day-long plane ride in a dehumidified plane cabin, the dry Vegas desert air, and the smoky casino-lobby of my hotel had resulted in a very teary and red-eyed matt - almost looked like i was all hung over and in emotional tatters after losing my life savings at the roulette wheel - and btw just for the record i am very much anti-casino - or as the justifying euphemism goes, anti-integrated resort, but i digress)]. But yeah, seriously, i believe that God was definitely ministering to my not-all-there self just now. *smilez*

And the Lord continued to speak - especially during the semi-spontaneous testimony time that we had, where there were several people who went up to share and bless the rest of the congregation - the common thread being God's continued faithfulness and goodness to those who seek Him. It was very touching really... Wow, even through the simple things, it was amazing and very encouraging to see how the Lord was working in the lives of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ =)

This quote, shared at the end of the sermon, speaks to me heaps:

"Never let anything so fill you with pain or sorrow as to make you forget the joy of Christ risen" - Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

Indeed, His resurrection and what it means both for us as Christians and as well as with regards to what we hope to share with pre-believers is, for lack of a better way to term it, very important stuff...

An added, semi-related note: Since my room is roughly only forty or fifty metres away from the Bethel Hall, where many of the services take place, i can more or less hear whatever goes on there that is loud enough. So just now i heard what was going on at the pre-primary/primary one or so Easter outreach held there. As much as i cannot stand children, it was truly beautiful to hear so many young voices praising the Lord from their hearts. And i am sure to hear these songs of praise sung without any agenda or blindness to the Lord must be pleasing to Him =) Reminds me now of one of the testimonies shared during the aforementioned testimony time, where a young mother shared with the church how her little daughter was telling her how she could feel the Holy Spirit moving in her as she was singing songs of praise - it's just so wonderful and encouraging to hear that...Truly there is nothing hindering any of us from coming into and enjoying His presence =)

Was reading from Psalm 24 a couple of days ago, and came across, from verses 7 and 9, lyrics that undoubtedly inspired this song. Then it so happens that we sang it today... Looking at the lyrics, it's cool as to how the words of the Psalm talk about the jubilant reception of our victorious King of glory, these words taking on new relevance today as we celebrate our victorious risen Christ.

Glory

Great is the Lord God Almighty
Great is the Lord God on high
The train of His robe fills the temple
And we cry out highest praise

Glory to the risen King
Glory to the Son
Glorious Son

Lift up your heads
Open the doors
Let the King of glory come in
And forever be our God

Holy is the Lord God Almighty
Holy is the Lord on High
Let all the earth bow before You
And crown You Lord of all

Lyrics courtesy of Christian-Lyrics.net

Blessed Easter everyone...