A Year of Easter Firsts

So this is my first Easter since I started attending a church, away from my home chuch. Yes, I haven't lived in Minnesota in 8 months (Oh my, has it been that long!) but I still, and I think always, will consider Hope my home church. Part of that is because I feel like my time in East Langsing as transitional, but that is topic for a different post.

So, the following is a list of "Firsts" that happened to me this year:

1. Not going to an Ash Wednesday service and celebrating Lent as a way to worship Christ.
2. Not going to Good Friday service. My current church had set up a "Go at your own pace" stations of the Cross, but I didn't leave work until 530, and still had to pack to go home for the weekend and still had an hour drive.
3. Having to scrape 2 inches of ice and snow off of my car to go to church Sunday morning (I know, this shouldn't be a first).
4. I have been following of the the Discipleship Journal's Bible Plans (the Book at a Time version - not very well I might add) but I just started reading Exodus. I also have been listening to Hope's Sermons and the Sunday School class I am is studying Deuteronomy. It was so cool to be immersed in so many different parts of scripture that are directly focused on the Passover/Easter season.

5. I am still getting used to my new church, and there are things that I don't particularly care for, but the Bible Study, fellowship, and Mission/Ministry focus make up for the small things that don't resonate with my preferred worship style. That being said, the worship this week felt extra short (only 3 songs, which is normal here), but the last song was "Your Blood" which is a great way to be in the presence of God. But about 30 seconds after that song was over, a really loud video came on with screams and monster noises and the 15 foot Godzilla on stage lit up and started spewing smoke from his mouth. One thing that I am not so fond of at this church is the topically approach to sermons as oppossed to just teaching the Bible. I think the topically ones serve important purposes, but at the same time, I think that it is the responsibility of a teaching pastor (or any pastor) just to point people toward Christ. Instead of preaching a "traditional" Easter service, the Pastoral staff decided to be countercultural and talk about the "Monster that came from Within."

Don't get me wrong, I think that the sermon was good and that the topic needs to be addressed in the church, but not at expense of worshipping the fact that CHRIST rose from the dead!

6. We didn't do the He is risen, He is risen indeed thing.
7. Easter dinner was only 3 people (not so much a first, but very different)
8. After dinner I took a long nap
9. Celebrated with Pudge Rodriquez as he hit a 3 run homer in the top of the 9th to put the Tiger's ahead of the Royals 3-2.
10. Used my old U-card to break into my sister's house because she locked herself out throwing away rotten eggs.

So there is my list of Easter Firsts. I pray that everyone who reads this was blessed this weekend and that you live your life as you have risen with Christ!