Happy Easter! Christ is risen – Christ is risen indeed! Now you might be thinking, "Um, does Pastor have his calendar mixed up? Easter was last week." Not exactly. Many people see Easter as just one day, which in 2025 was on April 20. But in the tradition of the church, Easter is a whole season of the year that lasts 50 days and spans 7 Sundays. Often called the "Great Fifty Days," the season begins at sunset on Saturday, Easter Eve and lasts through the Day of Pentecost, which this year falls on Sunday June 8.
The First Sunday of Easter this year was an exciting time at McMurry. We began our celebration the day before with an Easter Egg Hunt for children ages 0-10. We divided the children up into 4 age groups so that little kids would not be hunting eggs alongside older kids. Because the weather was a bit cold, we hid the eggs inside the church, utilizing various rooms on the 2nd floor. When the kids weren't searching for eggs, we had plenty of other activities to celebrate the occasion: crafts, games, snacks, plus an appearance by the Easter Bunny! Counting parents, grandparents, and other adults along with the children, we had 63 people attend the Easter Egg Hunt.
We continued our celebration of Easter with a joint Sunrise Service early on Sunday. Because it was raining, we held the service in the church parlor. Rev. Jen Shelton, pastor of Gashland and Faubion United Methodist Churches, preached the message, plus we were joined by Rev. Rebecca Dunger Peak of Avondale UMC and Rev. Chris Sams of North Cross UMC. People from those 4 churches joined with McMurry folks for a blessed time of worship together. After the Sunrise service, we had coffee, juice, and sweet treats available in the parlor.
At 10 a.m. we pulled out all of the stops to celebrate Christ's resurrection in a big way. A trumpet, three trombones, and timpani joined forces with our Praise Team to provide music for our worship. For my sermon, I shared about a song that is near to my heart, "Oh Mary, Don't You Weep." This song has a powerful message for all of us. No matter what sorts of pharaohs we may face in our lives, we need not weep or morn, because God will triumph victoriously. The service ended with brass, timpani, and piano playing the "Hallelujah Chorus" by Handel.
Now after a full weekend that included an Easter Egg Hunt, Sunrise Service, continental breakfast, and a big worship celebration, you might breathe a sigh of relief, giving thanks that Easter is over. WRONG! The Easter season has just begun, and there are plenty more stops along the way before it is over.
Each of the seven Sundays of Easter has its own specific theme and focus. The Second Sunday of Easter, for example, is often known as Bright Sunday or Low Sunday. Some churches have a tradition of celebrating "Holy Humor Sunday" on the Second Sunday of Easter, as a reminder to be joyful because God pulled one over on the Devil by resurrecting Jesus from the dead. The Fourth Sunday of Easter is often known as Good Shepherd Sunday, since the appointed Scripture readings for the day focus on how Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
According to the New Testament book of Acts, Jesus ascended into Heaven 40 days after his resurrection, which this year falls on Thursday, May 29. Some churches hold special services on that Thursday. For other churches, it is common to remember the Ascension on either the Sunday before or the Sunday after that Thursday. The crowning of the Easter Season is the Day of Pentecost, 50 days after Easter Sunday. On Pentecost, we remember how the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus' disciples, giving birth to the church. A number of churches have a tradition of inviting the congregation to wear red clothing as part of their Pentecost celebration. Go on and mark your calendars now for June 8!
I hope you will join me in celebrating the season of Easter at McMurry United Methodist Church. Each Sunday is a chance to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The celebration will continue for all 50 days of the season. I look forward to seeing all of you, along with your family and friends, during this wonderful and holy season of the church year. Christ is risen – Christ is risen indeed! Happy Easter!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Clayton