Celebrate a zip-a-dee-doo-dah Easter day, Easter people!

posted on April 12

I never related much to Mary Magdalene personally until this Easter Sunday morning.  For more than 50 years, Easter tradition at my church began early…4:30am for choir members with the cantata at 6am followed by a hearty full breakfast, a day chocked full of joyous song, fellowship, and people…

But not this year.

This year, my sunrise celebration was solidary, until Mary Magdalene entered into my spirit.  To keep a bit of tradition alive, I arose early and headed to church on foot to update the yard sign and change the cloth of death to the cloth of life.  First light brought a reverend quiet along with a joyous chorus of birds, some in flight, some perched contently on their tree limb…sorta reminded me of some of our own little “birds” perched in “their” pews.  The less than full moon smiled down on me through a soft haze as I walked toward church.   As I rounded the bend, my heart saddened at the bleak reminder of my not traditional Easter morning…empty streets, empty parking lot, empty church...bummer.  Then, SHAZAM! This is what Mary Magdalene must have felt like that first Easter morning…walking alone in the quiet morning with the moon lighting her way only to discover an empty grave!  For just a moment, we shared the same heart wrenching moment of grief and despair.  But that grief and despair quickly turned into unbelievable joy for us both! She found Jesus and spoke directly to Him, a totally unexpected revelation!  My revelation on this very atypical Easter morning was, like the grave, the parking and the church was empty but Jesus wasn’t here…He wasn’t hanging around lamenting…He was out among the people living the resurrection!!  Go and do the same thing, I heard Him say!  Joining in the praise with the birds and all of God’s glorious nature with a joy filled heart, I draped the cross with the cloth of Life and left the still empty parking lot with a new message on the yard sign…TADA! He’s Back!

Yes, indeed. I know my Redeemer lives…in any tradition. 

Celebrate a zip-a-dee-doo-dah Easter day, Easter people!

With an everlasting love, Kim, your Lay Leader
a.k.a The Easter Chickie

Kim Eller is a member of Newlyn Street United Methodist Church, and serves as the District Lay Leader for the Northern Piedmont District.