ThisWeek (All editions) 04052012
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Across central Ohio, the United States and the world, Christians will celebrate their holiest holiday this week with a variety of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday observances.
While egg hunts and chocolate bunnies are part of the traditional fare, the deeper message is much more important to Christians.
The Rev. Debra Stevens, minister at East North Broadway United Methodist Church in Clintonville, said the holiday is all about new life.
“Easter truly is new life,” Stevens said. “It reminds me that in the early church, Easter was a time when people who had been separated from the fellowship Éwere restored to the life of the community.
“As a pastor, it always is my hope that those who come to each (service) on Easter will hear or see or experience something about the story that will call them back to their faith journey. I always hope that the people who come on Easter will be back next week and the week after that.”
The Rev. Gregory H. Herndon, minister at Epworth United Methodist Church on Karl Road in Columbus, said Easter is a time to reflect on the life of Christ.
“First of all, Easter cannot be effectively or genuinely appreciated without having observed the life, ministry, suffering, (and) death of our Lord,” Herndon said. “When people get the appreciation of that, the sense of grace and sense of love, then they can have an appreciation for Resurrection Sunday … because we know that in our suffering, we ultimately identify with Christ.”
The Rev. June Wilkins, minister at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Clintonville, said it’s not a coincidence that Easter and springtime coincide.
“The important thing to remember is that Easter doesn’t exist without the rest of the days, without Good Friday and Maundy Thursday and all that stuff,” Wilkins said. “We don’t do it in isolation.
“The story of death and resurrection is the story of Jesus and of God all through time … Even in horrible natural disasters and stuff, there’s always that hope of life there, that determination of people to start over again, even though they’ve lost everything. It’s not just that you’re going to rise from the dead. God won’t just abandon us just because bad things happen.”
Barry Scott Sr., pastor of Marysville’s Trinity Lutheran Church, views Easter as a transformational event.
“Easter connects us to God’s living, transforming and energizing power in all of life,” he said. “Easter is God’s path of rebirth and renewal, for us and for all creation.”
Pastor Dan Steppe of Marysville’s New Beginnings Church, sees Easter as being about power and life.
“Easter is the story of the resurrection power of God raising Jesus Christ to new life,” he said. “The hope is clear: If God can raise a dead body from the ground, He can resurrect my life … If He is that powerful (and He is) then perhaps His grace is greater than my sin.”
The Rev. Don Wallick, minister of the Church of the Good Shepherd United Methodist on Sharon Woods Boulevard, said Easter is a chapter in the story of Christianity that involves more than the resurrection of Christ.
“It is one piece of the story,” Wallick said. “I think where I tend to go with it is a little bit less on the miraculous end and a little bit more on the side of when we seek to follow the path that Christ has laid out for us, we begin to see renewal and resurrection in many ways and in many places. That only has its deepest meanings when we follow the whole path rather than just this particular Sunday or this particular week É In ways that are not so miraculous sometimes, we can be renewed and reborn.”
In addition to Sunday services, many churches plan other events to mark Holy Week. In Grove City, the Southwest Ministerial Association holds a yearly Good Friday service at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church that is usually is well attended by individuals from many denominations, according to the Rev. Stan Kirlan, association president and pastor at Buckeye Christian Church.
That church is hosting a Seder, a re-enactment of the Jewish Passover, as part of the church’s yearlong journey through the Bible, he said.
Community Cross Walks are planned on April 6, Good Friday, in Dublin, Westerville and Canal Winchester.
“It’s a silent walk to recognize it’s a day of reflection for Christians all around the world,” said the Rev. Bob Tussing of Dublin Community Church.
The Rev. Jennifer West, of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Westerville, said the walk keeps participants grounded in the somber mood of the day.
She said it’s crucial for all Christians to pause to celebrate Easter.
“The Resurrection, which we celebrate on Easter Sunday, that is the most important day of our religion. That is what the whole faith is raised upon,” she said.
Because Easter is the most important day in Christianity, church attendance is likely to swell.
“We’re preparing to serve maybe 700 people on Easter, which is about double our normal attendance,” said Lyndsey Casey, secretary at New Albany United Methodist Church.
“On Easter Sunday, we get about 1,500 people at each service,” said the Rev. Jerry Rodenfels of Church of the Resurrection in New Albany. “That’s about 1,100 more than we usually get on a regular weekend. I think there’s something about this celebration that warrants a response to come to church and celebrate this faith event.”
Easter Sunday draws the largest attendance of the year to Worthington’s St. John’s Episcopal Church, 700 High St. On Saturday night, the church will hold a vigil telling the story of God’s involvement with humankind, said the Rev. Philip College. On Sunday morning, there will be glorious flowers, glorious music and lots of singing, he said.
“We base our faith on the Resurrection of Christ, which means we have a very positive outlook on life,” he said.
Andrew Miller, Jennifer Noblit, Marla Kuhlman, Sarah Sole, Lori Wince, Jennifer Nesbitt and Candy Brooks contributed to this story.