We are now solidly in the Easter season. It began April 8th with Easter Sunday, and this part of the Christian year extends all the way until the Day of Pentecost on May 27th. In the early church, Easter celebrations were not limited to Easter Sunday. In the beginnings of Christianity, the party continued throughout the seven weeks between Easter and Pentecost. All seven weeks were devoted to feasting and rejoicing. Now that is my idea of a holiday!

So we will do our best to keep the party going – especially in worship here at 1st Church during the Easter season. But maybe we could do even more than that. Maybe we could decide to use these seven weeks of Easter in each of our lives to rejoice, to celebrate, and to embrace resurrection living.

Just to get you started, here are a few things I’ve been thinking about which might help us to keep Easter alive. I call them my “Top 10 Lessons For Resurrection Living”, and offer them with some apologies to David Letterman for stealing his format:

#10: Don’t try to eat all the Easter eggs in one sitting

#9: When under stress or when recovering from the party, don’t forget to rest, whenever possible.

#8: Those cool new Easter shoes and those fancy duds look great – but take off the new shoes before blisters form; set aside the fancy duds when they get uncomfortable.

#7: Your friends and your family members will want to connect with you even after the high holy day is past… don’t forget to make time for them when the party is over

#6: Try not to cast your traditions in stone; make room for some new ways to celebrate new life

#5: Don’t ever take yourself too seriously

#4: Holding tight to Jesus’ love makes it much easier to let other stuff go

#3: Believe in yourself as a constantly renewing resurrection being

#2: Remember that God’s new life is offered again and again and again (a variation on the wisdom, “This too shall pass”)

And, the #1 lesson for resurrection living:
Be yourself. Use your gifts and inhabit your life wherever you are!