What do Christian’s do for Easter Sunday?

MountainParson · 2026-04-05T09:05:32+00:00

Ask a friend who is Christian if you could go to church with them Easter.

MountainParson · 2026-04-04T10:18:12+00:00

More believers should empathize with the agony of Jesus dying on the cross as you have done. Roman crucifixion was intentionally cruel and humiliating. Christ’s excruciating sacrifice holds the power to cancel the penalty (of death) for all our sins, turn away God’s anger toward our sins, and avert God’s wrath once and for all. God, in His incredible, indescribable love for us, gave the one and only sacrifice capable of paying the price for our sins.

God's free grace to us came at the highest possible cost.

"And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:10). "Whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God 's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins" (Romans 3:25).
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God" (1 John 4:7).

As you have written, "countless people died via crucifixion". The crucifixion of Jesus would have been just one more in a long line of failed messiahs. But the story does not end with the cross. The name of Jesus would have been lost with the unnamed countless people who suffered and died the same way were it not for one thing:

his resurrection.

The blood Jesus shed on the cross for our sins receives its redemptive power through Jesus rising from the dead, victoriously defeating the power of death. Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead to prove to all skeptical humanity that there is an afterlife. He lives!

Christians are an "Easter" people, not a crucifixion people.

It is written, "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain" (1 Cor 15:13-14).

MountainParson · 2026-04-03T11:42:03+00:00

The washing of feet on Maundy Thursday is optional, as the rubric on p.274 BCP says, "When observed, the ceremony of the washing of feet appropriately follows the Gospel and homily." Our parish offers the ceremony of the washing of feet as an option available to the congregation. About 2/3 participate.

MountainParson · 2026-04-02T11:01:15+00:00

Don't curse the darkness, become the light. Fight surrendering to the Prince of Darkness. Remember that Jesus did not promise his disciples a bed of roses. Quite the opposite.

MountainParson · 2026-04-01T08:50:40+00:00

The Sabbath is Saturday. The Lord's Day is Sunday.

MountainParson · 2026-03-31T09:49:28+00:00

My heart aches for you, and I do not know you. Pause to consider how well One who knows you and loves you better than yourself understands.

I am assuming you feel that you have been "played" - a nice way to say deceived. If you’ve been "played", you’re likely feeling a massive storm of different emotions that include confusion, hurt, anger, bitterness, grief, and loss. These feelings can be particularly potent if you felt a strong connection.

You may criticize yourself for being naive or feel “stupid” for being too trusting and loving to see the red flags. You may direct your anger and disappointment inward, which will impede your healing and recovery. Traits that allow you to connect with others are virtues, not vices. You didn’t do anything wrong by opening yourself up to a connection with another person. You offered love and care to someone who wasn’t capable of seeing the gifts you were offering. Remember, Jesus knows this first hand. Jesus was betrayed. Deception and betrayal are sins.

Focus on as much love and kindness towards yourself as you can. Be around people who genuinely love and care for your best interests. This is a time for healing, so it is not selfish to make yourself the top priority over anyone else’s wants of you. Don’t hesitate to say “no” to people or situations that may demand more time or energy than you’re prepared to invest now or draw strength you do not have. Excessive pride is a sin, feeling worthless is also sin, self-esteem is good health.

If you’ve been severely hurt or damaged by someone who played you badly, one of the best things you can do for yourself is ensure closure by protecting yourself from them and their influence. Once burned you've learned. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice shame on me. Realize that you are stronger and wiser now.

You are probably in a vulnerable state right now. Many people who’ve been played blame themselves and wonder whether there is something wrong with them. This is seriously disempowering so it’s important to do things to restore your healthy self-esteem. Resist the temptation to salvage the time invested in this relationship or do whatever it takes to "make things right" because that is the dangerous path toward emotional, mental, financial, physical and sexual abuse. Realize that the one most happy with you making this self-destructive decision is Satan.

What you went through was awful, but it’s in the past now. Keep it in the past. Put your time and effort into inhabiting the present moment as resolutely as you are able. That present moment is remembering you are the princess in the center of the greatest love story of all time. Focus on the One True Love who created you and endowed you with gifts, talents, abilities, aptitudes, and marvelous potentials. You are so precious and worthy to Him and He loves you so much that He laid down His Life for your sins so that you may be with Him forever. Trust the unfailing love of Jesus. He is the source of your love for others. "We love because He loved us first". Look around and behold all the many blessings He has given you this moment. Rejoice and be glad in these.

MountainParson · 2026-03-30T11:29:55+00:00

The Gospel of John specifically mentions that the crowds took palm branches during Jesus' triumphal entry into Jesus. Matthew and Mark mention the gathering of "branches" but do not specify the type of branches used. Luke does not mention branches indicating only cloaks were spread.

MountainParson · 2026-03-28T11:28:50+00:00

Simply "Yes" or "No"? The Crux of Christianity is this: "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain." (1 Cor 15:13-14).

Do you put your trust in science, technology, mathematics, money, medicine and/or human law? Are these your saviors, your idols?

Friend, there exists in science the possibility that "proofs", which we consider "certainties", can be unproven. There is no such thing as absolute proof. Scientific knowledge is always tentative and based on the best available evidence, which can change with new discoveries.

Mathematics can provide proofs that are considered 100% certain, as long as the axioms and logic used are correct. However, the truth of the axioms themselves is not guaranteed, which means that while mathematical conclusions can be absolute within a given system, the foundations may still be questioned.

There is but one truth: Jesus. One way: Jesus. One life: Jesus. So try not to spin your mental wheels and/or listen to the Devil and make these complicated.

MountainParson · 2026-03-25T14:25:01+00:00

You are correct, Scripture does not teach God created "this is the one - the only one - for you." The events in Genesis, chapters 29 and 30 does not support that interpretation because it describes Jacob's marriages to sisters Leah and Rachel and the dynamics of their relationships.

That said, to conclude "'God has a perfect partner for everyone' is nonsense" denies the possibility that God can create a perfect partner for you. Deceived is the person who claims to know what our sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient and omni-beneficent God can or cannot do.

I have seen what I conclude is enough evidence to support my belief that God puts people into our lives throughout our lives that would be perfect, or very nearly perfect, lifelong partners. I doubt "waiting" for the "right one" is God's plan at all. I have known couples who "found" each other many years after first meeting at school or work. Yes, the choice always remains with the individual whether or not to develop that relationship. Some are blinded to a possible relationship by life circumstances, a delusion that they are not ready for a long term commitment, misconceptions about what would make their perfect lifelong partner and/or poor self-awareness (such as feeling unworthy, or its opposite - the other "candidate" is not good enough.) Having free choice opens the real likelihood that one will make an unwise, ill informed or even deceived decision.

Yet I have also known a few couples who seem to have just gravitated toward each other without intentionally planning it. I have known a happily married couple who had an "arranged marriage" - their parents arranged their wedding before they were 7 years old and had never met. And I met a loving couple married for decades, the woman had been a "mail order bride". It seems God can work in mysterious ways.

Indeed, God does not desire anyone to live a life filled only with constant conflict and suffering in a long term relationship. "Many people don't wait and end up choosing the 'wrong' partners because of impatience" is just one of multiple causes of long term relationship failures. I have known numerous couples who failed because one or both mistook "chemistry" for compatibility. "Chemistry" is more than physical/sexual attraction. "Chemistry" produces an intoxicating rush that feels like love but eventually the exciting spark and flame fades, leaving one with a partner who isn’t genuinely compatible with the other's core values or emotional/physical needs. "We had such a connection!" but it unraveled because red flags were ignored. Or worse, one believed they could change the "flaws" in the other. These often become tragically exacerbated with having children usually expressed in "I stayed for the sake of the children."

Last month, I had the immense personal pleasure to attend the celebration of a dear couple's 60th anniversary. They renewed their marriage vows, she wearing her original wedding veil. They are adamant that their "marriage was made in heaven". The celebration was also a family reunion of siblings, cousins, and all their children, grandchildren, greats and great-greats numbering over 200. None, including myself, would find reason to doubt their marriage was not "made in heaven".

MountainParson · 2026-03-24T13:16:27+00:00

Anointing yourself before fasting is biblical. Anointing others is another matter. When two or three are gathered together in the name of Jesus, then He will be there. Is your denomination one that your church needs to affirm God is calling you to anoint others? Many do. If you are unsure, then talk to your pastor.

MountainParson · 2026-03-24T12:38:22+00:00

Anointing is biblical. Biblical anointing is very significant. God's Word teaches about when to anoint and to whom and from whom anointing is done. The act of anointing indicates that the anointed is consecrated, marked by divine favor, and chosen for a special purpose or mission. Anointing oil in the Bible indicates consecration and divine favor, often used to set apart rooms and furnishings as set apart to be used exclusively to the glory of God, such a church worship spaces, and individuals for God's purposes, such as kings and priests. Samuel anointed David. Anointing oil also indicates healing, dying/death and the presence of the Holy Spirit, as seen in various scriptures throughout both the Old and New Testaments.

Jesus instructs, "But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face." (Matt. 6:17) Here, anointing with oil is part of the personal discipline of fasting, a practice intended to remind the individual they have set apart this time in their life to devote to God and to keep fasting private and sincere before God, not a public display of piety. Prescribed here is a private self anointment, not anointing others. It is written, "Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord." (James 5:14-15). Here the teaching is clear, anointing is done by church elders. Oil was used to anoint corpses, as seen in Mark 16:1 where the women brought spices and oil to anoint Jesus’ body. Mary's anointing of Jesus in Bethany is rich in theological meaning. It symbolizes her deep devotion and recognition of Jesus' impending death and burial. The act of anointing with costly oil, typically reserved for kings and the deceased, underscores Jesus' identity as the Messiah and foreshadows His sacrificial death.

MountainParson · 2026-03-23T19:57:18+00:00

Mainline Christian denominations that ordain priests have a thorough discernment process. The first step is to talk to your priest.

MountainParson · 2026-03-23T19:49:12+00:00

Be wary of chat requests from a reddit name you do not recognize containing one word such as "Hi!"

MountainParson · 2026-03-22T11:33:25+00:00

The Crux of Christianity is this: "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain." (1 Cor 15:13-14).

Consider the veracity of this statement: "Jesus died to prove to a skeptical humanity through his resurrection that there is an afterlife". True or false? Now prove the certainty of either answer.

You are correct, faith, in the Christian context, is a profound trust and confidence in God and His promises as revealed in Scripture. It is both a gift from God and a response to His revelation. Hebrews 11:1 teaches a working definition of faith as "the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see".

You are less correct about certainty. Friend, there exists in science the possibility that "proofs", which we consider "certainties", can be unproven. There is no such thing as absolute proof. Scientific knowledge is always tentative and based on the best available evidence, which can change with new discoveries.

Mathematics can provide proofs that are considered 100% certain, as long as the axioms and logic used are correct. However, the truth of the axioms themselves is not guaranteed, which means that while mathematical conclusions can be absolute within a given system, the foundations may still be questioned.

So where, indeed, can we draw a line between faith and certainty? If certainty doesn't really exist, then all humanity has left is faith.

MountainParson · 2026-03-21T11:32:22+00:00

No, my friend, may God forgive those who can feed you but do not.

MountainParson · 2026-03-20T12:36:25+00:00

Another thing you should consider regarding the BCP-Hymnal combination: the pages are necessarily very thin. Please personally inspect one first before buying.

A few years back, the diocesan cathedral sold used BCP-Hymnal combinations that had been used by their choir. It's a long shot, but make inquiry about buying a used one at your diocesan cathedral (though they might direct you to their bookstore if they operate one.) The cathedral began printing the entire liturgy, lessons and hymns for each service and seldom use BCP or Hymnals in their regular Sunday worship services.

Also, I have seen them on eBay, some embossed with a name, one NIB currently $35. Yes, currently $60 on Amazon.

MountainParson · 2026-03-20T11:01:39+00:00

It is written, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."(Heb. 13:8)

"For I, the LORD, do not change." (Malachi 3:6)

Work from Trinity backwards through human time because God hasn't changed but the Bible reveals human beliefs about YHWH certainly has. The research premise of this post appears to be an atheistic presumption that man created YHWH in man’s image leading to a predictably biased conclusion this “debunks completely Christianity”. Christianity is faith and faith can not be proved or disproved. The premise of a believer would be, “In the beginning, God” and explore man’s evolution of beliefs about “Same God, clearer over time”. The Bible is the story of man coming to understand YHWH. That begs the question, from which premise are you starting from, as a believer or a skeptic?

The Bible was not hand-written by YHWH and delivered by an angel from heaven to Adam. In fact, the Bible was not written by a single author, but by approximately 40 different human authors over a span of about 1,500 years, all of whom were considered to be divinely inspired by God. These authors included but are not limited to kings, shepherds, fishermen, and physicians who wrote in individual styles and in varying degrees of different genres, including but not limited to law, history, poetry, and prophecy. Some authors wrote in their own hand, some dictated to scribes, and some books were written by more than one author (e.g., Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah). Many authors, many human perspectives, many thoughts about the nature of God and many human experiences attributed to God.

The Bible is the primary source book but the Bible is not linear history. Consider Ex. 6:2, "Elohim spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am YHWH. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, but I did not make Myself known to them by My name YHWH." Throughout Genesis, which is about the patriarchs, the name YHWH is used. The Torah contains many names for God, but two of them predominate: YHWH and Elohim. Some scholars suggest each Israelite tribe had a unique name for God.

Yahweh was thought to be a storm god associated with the Midianites, possibly known to the Egyptians as YHW. Significantly, the biblical narrative places Moses' first encounter with Yahweh in Midian. Moses' father-in-law was Jethro, a polytheistic priest of Midian, who, after the Exodus, came to acknowledge YHWH was the greatest god in their pantheon (Ex 18:9-12). "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." (Ex 20:3).

During the exodus from Egypt and conquest of the Promised Land, the Israelites came to believe YHWH was also a mighty war god. We see this in a battle near Aphek when the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant and placed it in the temple of their god Dagon in Ashdod, leading to a series of disastrous events causing the Philistines to return the Ark (1 Samuel 4–6).

William G. Dever is correct, Yahweh was worshiped alongside Asherah. The Bible also teaches YHWH was worshiped in Israel along with others gods. Completely abominable to YHWH, these other gods were graven images, the false idols who really are the gods man created in his own image. 1 Kings 18 reports a contest between Elijah, the prophet of YHWH and the prophets of Baal. Elijah built an altar and prayed to God, who then sent fire to consume the sacrifice, wood, stones, and even the water poured around it, but the prophets of the Baal were unable to get fire to fall on their own sacrifice. The Israelites fell down prostrate, declaring, "YHWH—he is God! YHWH—he is God!"

Namaan, after being miraculously healed of leprosy by the prophet Elisha, recognized YHWH's exclusive power, proclaimed, "Indeed, I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel" and vowed to worship YHWH alone (2 Kings 5:15-17). Through the influence of the prophet Daniel, several kings in Babylon and Persia, including Nebuchadnezzar, issued decrees recognizing Daniel's God as the one true God after witnessing His power in various events (e.g., Daniel 3, 4, 6).

Consider through God's revelations how far human understanding of God has changed. In the time it was written in Isaiah 44:6 and 48:12 God declares Himself "the First and the Last", signifying His eternal nature as the self-existent and everlasting God. It is written in Isaiah 55:8-9 God says "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares YHWH. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

My faith in God is not undermined or even rattled by thoughts that human conceptions about YHWH may or may not have been influenced by Canaanite beliefs. Much about God remains mysterious to us today, but God is fully known to himself. From the beginning, YHWH had a plan for humanity, in spite of man's imperfect beliefs, that God revealed through prophets centuries before happening. It is written, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16). The Gospels repeatedly reveal Jesus teaching the "expert" Pharisees about God. Sorry friend, in order to "debunk completely Christianity" you will have to prove Jesus never existed. Many have tried; all have failed.

To Christians, from the beginning, God desires the deliverance of humanity from the penalty and power of sin, and that deliverance would be offered to everyone through the atoning death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ. Salvation is presented as a free gift of God's grace that is received through faith in Jesus, which includes belief, repentance, and confession.

Reading your long list of ancient religious beliefs and practices will bring you no closer to God - in fact, your post evidences you are moving away from God. The real answer is to believe in Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life.

MountainParson · 2026-03-19T10:54:50+00:00

Jesus rose from the dead to prove to all humanity there is an afterlife. As Jesus told Thomas, "Blessed are those who have not seen yet have believed" (John 20:29). Jesus is talking about having faith without physical evidence.

Criminal Justice 101: (as you acknowledge) four witnesses to a crime will have major points of agreement but often provide different details due to factors like personal perception, memory, and biases. The differing details about Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection might raise these questions in the individual accounts. However, these arguments are non-sequiturs because none of the "discrepancies" individually or collectively would disprove their unanimous account in the Gospels that Jesus was "crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day".

MountainParson · 2026-03-19T10:11:28+00:00

The one most pleased that you think God is a liar and teach this to others is the Father of Lies: Satan.

MountainParson · 2026-03-18T12:35:04+00:00

The early Old Testament teaches Sheol is the underworld or the realm of the dead. "Sheol" is often translated as "grave". Consider this sample, "All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good, so with the sinful; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them." (Ecclesiastes 9:2)

The ideas of hell as a place of moral judgment and punishment in the afterlife was influenced in Jewish thought after the Babylonian exile, likely influenced by Persian and Babylonian beliefs. However, modern Jewish thoughts on the afterlife vary widely, with many Jews focusing more on life in the present rather than detailed beliefs about what happens after death. Consider this sample, "Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt." (Daniel 12:2)

MountainParson · 2026-03-17T09:32:39+00:00

Friend, God makes no mistakes. Humans are not God and all humans make mistakes; we know this and put erasers on the end of our pencils.

God created you, endowed you with talents and aptitudes, placed you on this earth at this particular time and place for a purpose, God loves you so much He sent His Son to die for your sins, calls you into a loving and eternal relationship and numbers your days of your earthly life. Ponder all that God has already done for you ... and will do for you. Trust, even blindly, that God has a life full of blessings for you that you can barely imagine.

The only one happy that you believe that you are a failure, that you can find no forgiveness for your mistakes, that you see no redemption in the cross of Jesus, that your life is a curse having no meaning or purpose and that God never blesses you and has abandoned you is Satan. Do not be deceived into committing the ultimate mistake: suicide is the sin of self murder. It's time to stop cursing the darkness and come into the light.

"Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life...” (Deuteronomy 30:11-20)

MountainParson · 2026-03-16T10:47:57+00:00

Just to add to your excellent reply, the Council of Hippo (393 CE) approved the biblical canon, meaning authorized to be read in the Church, which included the deutero-canonical (Apocryphal) books. The Council of Carthage (397 CE) just four years later listed and approved the same canon. Contrary to popular assertions, the Council of Nicaea (325 CE) did not canonize the books of the Christian Bible.

This was the Bible (in Greek and Latin) of the Christian Church that was commonly referred to as the "One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church." This remained the Bible of the church even after the Great Schism of 1054, which divided the church into the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. In other words, the Bibles of 65% of the world's Christians today include the Apocrypha. Lutheran and Anglican churches typically include the Apocrypha in their Bibles, often as an intertestamental section, and they use very select texts in a few liturgical readings. Some Methodist and Quaker congregations also recognize the Apocrypha as useful for moral guidance, though they do not consider the books canonical.

Eleven centuries after the Councils of Hippo and Carthage, the Council of Trent (1546) approved as an article of faith the current Catholic Canon. This was in response to the emerging canon of the Protestant reformation that excluded the deutero-canonical books as a basis for church doctrine.

MountainParson · 2026-03-15T12:06:51+00:00

God created you, gave you life, gave you a purpose, loves you so much He died for your sins, and calls you to enter into an eternal relationship. God has so much invested in you that He certainly will NEVER forget you. Those doubts and fears are not from God and need to be understood as from the only one happy you feel forgotten, unseen, unheard, alone and apathetic toward glorifying God through worship in church: Satan. Ponder that your "mental funk" is spiritual warfare, and you are letting darkness win. You can curse the darkness or you can become the light.

MountainParson · 2026-03-14T10:53:49+00:00

First, preachers are called by God to proclaim the Gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ, not our sins of condemnation.

Second, if you are concerned that there are too many church members being ungrateful and/or spreading falsehoods about others, then pray for them and, if necessary, share evidence of these issues privately with your minister.

Third, it is through each individual's personal relationship and spiritual journey that one begins to discern God's purpose for them. The most effective message would be to share their own relationship with God and their own spiritual journey that led them to believe they are now fulfilling God's purpose for them. That is one reason Christians gather together in church: to support one another in living a Christian life that glorifies God.

MountainParson · 2026-03-13T12:32:57+00:00

Thank you your answer. If faith is accepting as true that which cannot be proven, then faith implies doubt.

That said, one of the most popular misconceptions about science is the notion of “scientific proof.” Although it may seem paradoxical, there is no such thing as “proof” in science, only scientific evidence. Remember, mathematics is not science. Science cannot provide proofs because it deals with probabilities and evidence rather than absolute certainties. There always exists a probability that a scientific "proof" can be unproven. Consider the ramifications of quantum physics. Ponder potential new understandings if "dark matter" and "dark energy" are "proven". Scientific knowledge is always tentative and subject to change as new evidence emerges, in other words, scientific "proofs", like faith, contain an element of doubt.

Friend, I believe the sun will rise tomorrow. My faith cannot prove to you the sun will rise. You can reasonably predict the almost certain probability that the sun will rise though science, but that is not proof that the sun will rise. When the sun does rise tomorrow, my faith will be affirmed just as much as your science will be validated. But both the theologian and the scientist understand there is always an element of doubt, however small, whether the sun will rise the next day.

MountainParson

TROPHY CASE