John 21:1-2 ^NRS John 21:1 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. ² Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, ¹  Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs….mmmmm. One of my favorite things about Easter is these little treats. It is the only time of year that you can get them, and they usually sell quickly. So I try to stock up. Sadly, this year, I have already run out of my supply. I guess that means Easter is over. Or is it? For us as Christians, Easter is still going on, and will be, until the day of Pentecost.

Pentecost is another example of a Jewish festival that has become a Christian festival. We all know that our Eucharistic meal that we celebrate as the Lord’s Supper happened when Jesus and his disciples were celebrating the Jewish festival of Passover, which goes all the way back to the Israelites captivity in Egypt. Pentecost is the climax of the Jewish celebration of the Festival of Weeks (more about this at a later date). The time between Easter and Pentecost is the church season of Easter. So therefore, Easter is not over. It is a celebration that we continue, until we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

For the next 5 weeks, we will continue to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. However, our celebration does not end when the season of Easter is over. Each and every Sunday should be a mini-Easter for us. (Hence the reason Sundays do not count in the season of Lent, each is a mini-Easter.)

There are many stories in the Bible that are post-resurrection that we don’t always hear. For example, the pericope above is taken from the 21st chapter of John. Most Scholars believe that this whole chapter was added to the Gospel at a later date. Not only is the language of it different, but chapter 20 (which was the lesson recently) sounds like an ending to the gospel.

So as we go through these 50 days of Easter, let us remember to celebrate the resurrection as if it just happened. Let us have a mini-Easter each and every Sunday, giving thanks that our Lord gave of himself so that we all might be saved.

In our prayers this week: Gail and Linwood, Deborah Steed, Francis Cassem, Michael, and Brenten. We also give thanks for the work Dianne has been able to do during her many years of nursing and wish her rest and peace in her retirement.

God's Peace,

 Pastor Judson