One of my favorite sermons by the late great Fred Craddock is an Easter sermon called “The Announcement.” In his coy and unassuming way, Craddock says his only real mission in the sermon is to make the announcement that God raised Jesus from the dead.

But when he gets up to make the announcement, after listening to the choir soaring and the brass trumpeting the most amazing fanfare, he suddenly feels like a mere piccolo. I feel that same way every Easter. And this year, the Easter music was over the top, lifting our souls into another realm.

But after the lilies fade, what are we to do with this announcement? What does it mean to you and me, to us as a church, to our broader community, that God raised Jesus to new life? Easter is more than a day for frilly clothes and brunch, and extraordinary worship. Easter is also a season. Easter, on the Christian calendar, stretches onward for 50 days. Easter is a whole season of celebrating the presence of the risen Christ and extends all the way to Pentecost (meaning 50 days). Easter does not end until June 9 this year.

So we have more than one day to soak in what the announcement means to us. We have more than a month to ponder how we might live in response. The religious and civic authorities put Jesus to death. But God vindicated this Jesus. This man, who was known to hang out with the foreigners, heal the lepers, forgive repeatedly, feed the masses, was not silenced forever. His way of living was redeemed by God.

Today, we get to decide if the announcement will be forgotten and the good news packed away with the plastic eggs or if this announcement will change the course of our lives. Each day we choose how to spend our money, whether to consume social media, what kind of parent we will be, and what community service we will offer. Shall we resume our old life or rise up? Will we just forget about the announcement?

The beloved preacher, Fred Craddock, ends this sermon by reminding us that we don’t have to decide right now. We have 50 days. And if we apply, we can probably get an extension.

Grace and Peace,
Carla