The Gospel
Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They answered, “John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.”
He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?”
The Offering
From Faye Knopf
And be said to them all, if any man shall come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow me. – Luke 9:23
When my family were members of Advent, there were Easter Egg Hunts. Kiddos LOVE Easter egg hunts. My older son’s birthday often fell around or sometimes even ON Easter. (His birthday stayed the same date, but not Easter with its esoteric formula of When Is Easter.) When he was young, a time or two his birthday party was an Easter egg hunt. Other Easters, we had family egg hunts in a little cabin in Tuscaloosa, woods everywhere, eating and hunting outside. It was always spring there.
We’ve had our last Easter egg hunts here in our house with nine columns and a handkerchief sized yard: Jade, Julia, Liam, all too big now or gone.
My only Grand, Savannah, had her first hunt in St. Andrew’s basement and then several more times on our front porch. She was one.
Then a new Dean came to Advent. He eliminated Easter egg hunts and instituted a parade following the cross.
We all take up our cross daily. I don’t see any other way through life, but I still think there’s room for Easter egg hunts.