What are your memories of Easter Saturday?
My early years of church life were at Calvary, Morphett Vale SA. My parents led the youth group so I got to join in all sorts of teen activities while still early primary age. You can imagine how cool I thought that was! Holy Saturday was an exciting night as we camped out in the hall for the Easter vigil, ready to adorn the cross in the front of the church with flowers, thus welcoming those arriving for the dawn service on Sunday with a vibrant display of new life. It was a communal night of retreat, bunked down together on the floor waiting. It made little me feel wrapped around by a loving community gathered by Christ.
The other days of Easter are obvious but Saturday is an in-between time, a pause in the Easter story. For the disciples who had been told it was in-between, they felt it was the end as they had not understood what Jesus had told them. As we live after, and in, the resurrection it is difficult to capture that historical sense of grief, fear and horror. The cross is the only way through; it is not something we can go around or avoid.
Something we can easily share with the early followers is the rest of the sabbath (Luke 23:56), in whatever form that takes for you. I know and am grateful for how hard you all work in your regions, schools and ECSs, and how frantic the start to the year has been. I hope you find refreshment and renewal over the coming school holidays.
Our true rest of course is in Christ our saviour. He’s done it all, he’s got us. The space between crucifixion and resurrection calls us to a life in Christ. Christ is ahead of us, waiting for us. Rest.