Grace Lutheran Church

On March 23, 2008 Grace Lutheran Church celebrates Easter, the Festival of the Resurrection of Lord. In the Western church the date of Easter always falls between March 22-April 25. Easter has not fallen on the earliest of the 35 possible dates, March 22, since 1818, and will not do so again until 2285. The last time Easter arrived on the last possible date was in 1943, and will not do so again until 2038. This year Easter falls just one day after its earliest possible date.

Easter and the holidays that are related to it including, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Ascension Day, and the Day of Pentecost, are moveable feasts. They do not fall on a fixed date. They are based on a lunar calendar. There has been dispute concerning the date of Easter between Western and Eastern Church because of following the the Gregorian or the Julian. In Eastern Christianity, Easter falls between April 4 and May 8

This year Easter certainly feels early to me. It was difficult to move from Christmas and Epiphany toward the repentant season of Lent. It is not only the calendar that makes it difficult to move from the joy of Christmas toward the sorrow of Lent but I find a desire to remain in the joy of Christmas and the adventure of the wise men in Epiphany. I understand Easter is early, but I also know the church calendar reminds me that before Easter we will experience Lent.

Lent is a time of repentance and devotion to the cross of Christ so we can receive the feast of Easter with all sincerity and truth. I find when talking to someone else about Lent the conversation often leads to: “What are you giving up for Lent?” or “Let me tell you where the best fish fry is…” Garrison Keillor on Prairie Home Companion told the story of the Lutheran pastor in Lake Wobegon, Pastor Inqvist who originally gave up scotch for Lent but then decided to give up dark chocolate instead, because he didn’t really enjoy it anyways.

The fast of Lent does not prove to us the strength of our personal will, rather in the struggle we find the very necessity for our savior Jesus to be perfectly obedient to the will of the Father Almighty. Martin Luther explained that “fasting and bodily preparations are certainly fine outward training. But that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: ‘Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.’”

The season of Lent prepares us to receive the feast of Easter with all sincerity and truth when we find in this time the Holy Spirit working through the Law and the Gospel to call us to believe in the work of Jesus Christ. In our worship of Holy Week and our celebration of Easter we are witnesses to how our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ breaks into our ungodly and unbelieving world with his marvelous grace and mercy. Celebrate the Divine Service at Grace and discover the relationship that Jesus Christ desires to have with you.