In a hymn written a thousand years ago we hear: Christ the Lord is risen today. Christians haste your vows to pay; make your joy and praises known at the pascal victim’s throne. For the sheep the Lamb has bled sinless in the sinners stead; Christ the Lord is risen on high, now he lives no more to die.

“Because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:19) Easter is not just about some events that happened two thousand years ago far away across the sea. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the validation that every word he spoke is true, and every promise will be kept.

As you read this, we are in the midst of Holy Week. Holy Week is the week between Palm Sunday and Easter. It’s also the last week of Lent. It’s the pinnacle week in Christian faith that focuses on Jesus’ last days before his death, and ultimately resurrection. Because of this, I decided to take a more faith-based approach to the Mindful Moments article this week and offer a glimpse of how faith and mental health align.

While I was in New Underwood I had the awesome opportunity to pulpit fill for different churches in the area, and one Sunday after church I was talking with a couple from Hot Springs and we got to talking about the husband hunting elk with a bow and how he’s been hunting for a long time and some of the stories that he had to share were very entertaining for me because I have never been bowhunting before. Now I know this man has been doing that for a long time so I know that he has a lot of practice and that he probably doesn’t miss very often, if at all. Now me on the other hand, I would probably get bull or buck fever depending on what you’re hunting and I would be shaking so fiercely that I wouldn’t be able to line up the shot properly and I’d be lucky if I hit a stump behind the animal let alone hit the animal itself. Do you all know what that is called? That is called sin. Or at least that is what it was translated to in the English and that word in the Greek is called hamartia (hamare- tee-a).

This is a very special time of the year to the church world, to the body of believers that make up the global church. It is our grand finale, the Superbowl, or the championship event that everything we do works towards. Easter is not just another holiday because it celebrates an event that changed the world forever! Jesus (The Son of God) lived a sinless life and willingly laid down His life on the cross, and in doing so paid the price for all mankind’s sin past, present, and future. His body beaten and His blood poured out to pay the price that no other human could pay on their own. Then He was buried like all humans, but He didn’t stay dead because God through the Holy Spirit raised Him from the dead and this is what we celebrate. Jesus is alive today and sits at the right hand of God with a promise to return one day. This promise is for all who believe this in their heart and gives hope to all who believe that one day we will be united together with Jesus Christ for eternity. John 14:1-3 says, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” This is the promise to all who believe, this is the hope that we cling to, and this is why we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Come join us on Sunday April 5th – Come and See.

“Holiday” is simply short for “holy day.” Throughout the course of a year, there are certain days we set apart as special. While there are many holy days, there is but one holy week. The final week of Lent marks the most pivotal week in human history. During that week we reflect on the three most powerful and reformative words ever spoke: “It Is Finished!”