Jesus Has Risen! He Has Risen Indeed Alleluia!
Many of us experienced something great this past weekend. Whether it was while watching our at home Maundy Thursday service, or during a deeply solemn and reflective Good Friday worship experience, or during the joyous praise of our Easter worship celebration – many of us tasted a little about what it is like to be with God. Now we have a choice. We can allow that taste, that small hunger that is inside of us, to lead us to a deeper commitment of knowing Jesus or we can stifle it by going back to the day to day lives we are accustomed to. In going back to our old lives, we are accepting worldly values and purposes which lead us to push God to the background. But if we allow the small glimpse of God that we have experienced to lead us to a deeper commitment to Jesus, then we begin to reap the fruit and blessings of having an intimate relationship with the one who loves us more than anything else in this world.
Here are some great Easter book recommendations to help guide you in your journey.
Sacred Companions by David Benner “We need companions on our spiritual journey. The modern world has taught us to value autonomy and individualism. Our churches often see spirituality as personal and private. But we cannot go long in our Christian pilgrimage before realizing that isolation leads to spiritual barrenness. We soon discover that our souls long for accompaniment, intimacy and spiritual friendship.”
Fearfully and Wonderfully: The Marvel of Bearing God’s Image by Dr. Paul Brand & Philip Yancey “God’s imaginative genius with his physical creation always has astounding parallels in the spiritual realm, and it’s no different with the epitome of his creation, the human body. In Fearfully and Wonderfully, my friend Philip and his coauthor Dr. Brand draw amazing parallels between our bodies and the Body of Christ that leave the reader startled and breathless with wonder…” (Joni Eareckson Tada, Joni and Friends International Disability Center).
Easter Stories: Classic Tales for the Holy Season “Everyone who believes Easter is about more than bunnies and eggs will be grateful for this new collection of short stories that shed light on the deeper meaning of the season. Selected for their spiritual value and literary quality, these classic tales capture the spirit of Easter in a way that will captivate readers of all ages. Parents and grandparents will find that children love to hear these stories read aloud, year after year.
Easter Stories includes time-honored favorites from world-famous storytellers such as C.S. Lewis, Leo Tolstoy, Selma Lagerlof, Oscar Wilde, Elizabeth Goudge, Maxim Gorky, Ruth Sawyer, and Walter Wangerin
On That Easter Morning by Mary Joslin “The events of the first Easter are simply and movingly told in this gorgeous book. The text, closely based on a range of passages from the Bible, retells the key events in the Holy Week and Easter. The astonishing events, beginning with Palm Sunday and ending with Jesus’ rising from the tomb, are revealed in the modern and breathtaking illustrations.”