Celebrating the Resurrection

 By Marianne Mauti

Celebrating the Resurrection

When I was a little girl, America was still a very  faith conscious nation. Religion was  an important  part of the social culture and stores were closed on Sunday's, to observe the sabbath. If you wanted milk or bread, you had better get it Saturday evening! Somehow, life just seemed a whole lot less complicated. We had fewer modern convenances but we seemed to have more time to get things done. Family life on the was also very different . Very few women worked outside of the home. Taking care of the children,  keeping a clean and orderly home, caring for elderly  and homebound family members was an important and noble vocation. 

Prayer, reading the bible  and celebrating Christian holidays  were a part of public school activities! Religious holiday's were  an important part of the American mindset. We had all the festive trimming of today's holiday experience, but their was  a greater emphasis placed on 'why ' we were celebrating, instead of 'how' we were celebrating! When I think about the religious celebrations of my youth, I realize what an important role they played in forming my spiritual desire to know more about God. 

As spring rolls around the corner, I am reminded of all the wonderful childhood memories of the Easter celebration. When I was a little girl, the week before Easter, my father would take me to one of the department stores  to pick out a new outfit (it was a daddy, daughter thing). I would get a pretty spring dress with a matching coat, a new pair of white patent Leather shoes , a purse and hat to match. I felt like a real princess! Then a few days before Easter we would color eggs,  and decorate the house. 

I remember waking up in the morning  and running down the stairs to see what the Easter bunny had left me. There was usually a large stuffed bunny or chick, lots of candy and even sometimes money! Then I would rush up the stairs and get ready to go to church, (I loved getting all dressed up in my new clothes)! My mother would put the  ham in the oven and off to church we would go. We weren't regular church goers when I was little, so getting to go to Easter service was especially memorable to me! I remember feeling a sense of awe when I walked through the church doors. I could smell the the Easter Lilies that lined the platform as I listened intently to the minister share the moving account of the resurrection of Jesus. The service would always end with a traditional Easter hymn. My favorite one was, "He Arose."

When we arrived home, we were immediately  greeted with all the smells of a home cooked holiday meal. Soon, all the wonderful dishes came out and we would spend all afternoon, eating, talking and visiting (my Aunt and Uncle usually made the trip over to have dinner with us). I can still taste my mom's potato salad! There is just something about the holidays and their traditions that are engraved on our heart and in our minds. The new outfit, coloring the eggs, the good food and candy were a memorable part of the day, but what I remember the most was the deep sense of love and gratitude that I felt toward Jesus on that day and a growing desire to know Him more! 

Holiday's became even more special when I had my own family. By the time we had children, my husband and I were regular members of a church. Our relationship with Christ deepened and so did our love for the Christmas and Easter celebrations. The candy and the food were still part of our tradition but we made a decision very early on in our children's  lives, not to focus our celebration on the Easter bunny and everything that went with it. We believed we could and should maintain family traditions (which are important) but not compromise truth. We also made one other important distinction. We stopped calling it our 'Easter' celebration and started calling it 'Resurrection Sunday' because it represents one of the most important events in the Christian faith. We recognized the need to make a clear distinction between our Holy observance of Christ's Resurrection and the celebration of Easter which had its roots in a pagan festival. 

The choice to re-define the holiday for our family, was an important decision to make and we have never regretted it.  As the holiday continues to becomes less about the traditional Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Christ and more about the secular celebration of the Easter Bunny , it is easier to look back now and know we made the right decision! The American way of life and thinking have drastically changed since I was a child and I have witnessed a great divide taking place  between the sacred and the secular ! 

The decision to side with the Biblical stand on creation, abortion, alternative lifestyles and how we practice our traditional holidays, has never been more important than it is today! We teach our children how to define their Christian walk, by the values we have, by the moral choices we make, by the commitments we honor and by the conviction we live in front of them very single day! An ever growing secular worldview has forced us to look deep inside, to clearly define for ourselves and our families what our beliefs, morals and values mean to us and what we are willing to sacrifice for them. We are being challenged every day to make a greater distinction between the world we live in and who we are as Christians. I will always cherish my childhood memories but I don't regret the decision we made! How about you?

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FORGING YOUR FAITH

To 'Forge' something, is to mold and shape something for suitable use. We believe that our lives are constantly being shaped and molded by the hand of God for His divine purpose! This publication strives to encourage believers who are beginning this process and those who are well into it! We also believe a truly successful life is a Christ-Centered Life! We hope you will join us and become a regular reader! 

Thank You and God Bless,

Marianne Mauti

Founder and CAO

'Forging Your Faith' is the online Christian publication of 'Christ the King Church' in Bellevue, Pa.

About Marianne Mauti: Marianne is a writer and blogger as well as a Pastor at "Christ the King Church" in Bellevue, Pa. She is currently the Dean and Chief Operating Officer of "Christ the King Seminary" a full time Bible Institute. For more information about us please contact us at: crowncntr@aol.com

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