2 weeks Ago
The Aiken Standard invited leaders of several local congregations or faith groups to share a few thoughts this year on the meaning or importance of Easter. The responses of those who chose to participate are shown here. Easter falls on April 20 this year, which is later than usual.
Easter, known to some as Resurrection Sunday and largely regarded as the highest of Christian holy days, is always between late March and early May, and the date of observance usually varies between Western tradition and Orthodox custom, but the date is the same on both calendars in 2025. * * * * * * * * * * Rev. Father George Alexander, All Saints' Anglican Church Following our Anglican Heritage, we celebrate on Easter, not just the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, but a Living Faith, the great love of God, His desire to preserve us for Himself, and the extent to which He will go to make it possible for us to be united with Him eternally.
Christ’s Resurrection reminds us that ours is a Living Faith that ends not in death but eternal life. Through baptism we have been reborn, and indelibly marked with the sign of the Cross, a guarantee of our future life, a future assured by the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, an assurance dependent upon us, our accepting God’s Grace and Love freely given, and allowing it to work in and through us. We accept God’s Grace and Love, knowing there is much we will not fully understand during this earthly life but, at the same time, knowing with a certain confidence that God is Love.
It is love that binds together the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and it is love that binds us to him. It is through love that God entered into the world by taking upon Himself our flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, revealing Himself to the world through His Son, Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, and, in the Person of Jesus Christ, suffered death upon the Cross, a sacrificial offering to the Father as He bore the sins of the world. We also know that Jesus was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea; and that He rose from the dead on Easter Day, not because the tomb was found empty but because He was seen; there were witnesses.
This is what makes Christianity a living religion: there were witnesses to His Life, His Death, and His Resurrection. His many disciples, the Apostles themselves, and even St. Paul, were witnesses.
The tomb could not contain our Lord, Jesus Christ. The Death and Resurrection were not the final chapter. None of the four Gospels ends with Christ’s Death and Resurrection.
They all leave us with the expectation of greater things to come, and exhort us to be active participants in the redemptive process begun by our Lord Jesus Christ, by our witness, and through our worship. * * * * * * * * * Rev. Donnie Bates, Anchored in Christ Fellowship Easter is the most important time of the year to me.
It is the time of the year I get see and feel the creator’s hands upon this earth and the message he conveys through his creations. We have gone through winter where the skies are gray, the days are short, and wind is cold. This year we even were challenged by a hurricane.
And then we start to see the creator of all things show his love and his character. We woke up one morning and noticed the flowers are now blooming, the grass is turning green, the temperature is pleasant, and suddenly something has changed our attitude to hope. Our creator still remembers us.
It seems it changes our vision of how things so dormant in the winter can be changed to such beauty in the spring. Easter matters because it is a time of renewal. Jesus said in Rev.
2:15 “Behold, I am making all things new.” The word behold means to look, see, or pay attention to. Jesus is saying look at my creations, this is the beauty I want you to see in me and others.
There is nothing like seeing the dogwood trees bloom, proof by their flowers that Jesus is among us. The bloom itself is in the shape of a cross with four corner of the petals notched to represent the nails Jesus took for us. What does this means for us? During the Hurricane last year as it passed through our town many of us were huddled in our closet, bathrooms, or under stairways.
Just as Jesus was closed up in a dark tomb. And just as he rose from the dead to defeat death and be the light of the world, we opened our doors and walked back into the light. Without Jesus we would be still locked a way in our darkness.
But God himself loved us so much, despite our sins, he created himself into a man in order to make a way for us to live in a beauty beyond our comprehension. A place called heaven, God created for all of his people to live one day. “Behold, I will make all things new.
” The holiness of Easter and the beauty of his creations are just a glimpse of heaven. * * * * * * * * * * * The Rev. Simeon Crass, Peace Lutheran Church You look around your chaotic world and think to yourself, “Someone really needs to do something about this.
” You examine your life with all its letdowns and think to yourself, “I wish I could fix this.” You endure the loss of friends and loved ones as your family feels the sting of death, and you think to yourself, “I suppose there’s nothing anyone can do about it.” What does Easter mean to us at Peace? It means someone looked at all those problems and did something about them.
Our Heavenly Father looked at his creation and saw a mess. He saw all of humanity for what we were: helpless sinners. But rather than shrugging his shoulders and sitting back, he did the extraordinary.
God became man so that he could give himself up as your Savior. He died carrying to the cross every single one of your sins, shortcomings, and failures so that you would never have to carry them with you again. Jesus even defeated death as he gave you victory through his victory.
He rose from the dead. This is what gives us hope. Because Jesus conquered sin, sin no longer defines us.
Because Jesus conquered death, death loses its finality. Because Jesus ascended to his heavenly home, we know our permanent and perfect home is in heaven with him. Easter means so much to us because Jesus’ resurrection is everything to us.
His resurrection carries the promise of heaven. What more could we ask for out of Easter? Rev. T.
C Edwards, Friendship Baptist Church Easter is one of the most significant Christian holidays celebrated worldwide. It marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, a pivotal event in Christian theology that signifies victory over sin and death, offering hope for eternal life. At its core, Easter represents the resurrection of Jesus, an event recorded in the New Testament.
In the Gospel of Mark 10:32-34, Jesus himself prophesies of His resurrection in teaching the Twelve Disciples: Mark 10:32-34 “32 And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him, 33 Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: 34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.” According to Christian belief, after being crucified, Jesus was buried in a tomb, and three days later, he rose from the dead.
This resurrection is viewed as the fulfillment of God's promise of eternal life, and it signifies the triumph of light over darkness, life over death, and good over evil. For Christians, this victory is not just historical; it provides the foundation for their faith and an assurance of life after death. Celebrating Easter, then, is a way for Christians to honor this miracle and reflect on its significance in their spiritual lives.
Easter is also seen as a time of renewal. This season of renewal mirrors the themes of resurrection and hope. Easter symbolizes the opportunity for personal renewal, offering individuals a chance to reflect on their faith, seek reconciliation, and embrace a fresh start in their spiritual journey.
In conclusion, Easter is celebrated for many reasons. For Christians, it is a celebration of Jesus Christ's resurrection and the promise of eternal life. It is a time of spiritual renewal and reflection, offering an opportunity for families and communities to come together.
Whether celebrated for its religious significance or as a cultural tradition, Easter is a time of hope, joy, and new beginnings. * * * * * * * * * * * President C. Nathan Hancock, Aiken SC Stake , Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints He lives! Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognize Jesus Christ as the literal Son of God who came to earth as the promised Messiah, as foretold by prophets in the Old Testament.
While each Sunday is an opportunity for members of the Church to partake of the holy Sacrament in remembrance of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, Easter Sunday is a special celebration of His Resurrection. Jesus Christ’s victory over death not only made it possible for Him to live forever as a glorified immortal being, but also guaranteed that all men and women will live again. “Easter is a time of renewal and a season to remember the love of Jesus Christ.
He loved us so much that He suffered and died for us. Then, on the third day, He rose again. His Resurrection means we will all live again.
” The five congregations that gather in the Aiken and North Augusta meetinghouses have been invited to study the events of holy week in preparation for joining together to reverently worship with songs of praise, messages of hope, and testimonies of faith. The public is invited to the one hour Easter worship services (times can be found online or on Easter banners in front of the church buildings). Following the meetings, members are encouraged to continue their worship and celebration at home with friends and family.
* * * * * * * * * Minister Skyler Mitcham, Full Gospel Praise and Deliverance Center Winter is the season of seemingly lifeless creation, with trees barren and at times, bitter cold temperatures. In many places, our world is covered by frost and ice, unable to shake off the weight that renders it immobile and expressionless. Darkness covers the Earth sooner than usual, leaving less light to radiate hope.
One could ask, will this ever end? But in the fullness of time, spring interrupts the dark and dreary pattern that seemed unending, bringing more light and with it, the warmth that chases away the sting of winter's chill. The weight the world was under now melts away and gives permission for life to bloom and express its eagerness to thrive. We who are Christian understand that at one time, our lives were like that.
Some were cold-hearted, hopeless, and barren of any sign of true life. We were just existing, immobile under the weight of sin, unable to express ourselves with true joy and love for ourselves and others. Then in the fullness of time, like the sun racing across the sky, Jesus came, radiating the light and warmth of His glory, shining His light into the darkness of our hearts to melt our cold hearts and explode with His love, mercy, and grace.
He did this through His great sacrifice of love, living the life we should have lived but couldn’t, and dying the death we should have died, but wouldn’t. He fulfilled the requirement that we all owed, but could not do, and gave us eternal life, which we could not earn. Now through faith, we have received the gift of eternal life by believing in Jesus’ sacrifice and the reality of what it accomplished for us.
The winter of our lives has melted away, and the spring of new life is ours through Jesus Christ. This is what Easter means to us. * * * * * * * Rev.
Joseph Shippen, St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church Easter is the heart of the Christian faith and the pinnacle of our worship every year. As we remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we proclaim the triumph of life over death, and the unshakable hope that God’s love is stronger than anything we face—even the grave.
In the Episcopal Church, Easter is not just a single day but a season of joy, lasting fifty days, during which we celebrate the promise of new life for all creation. This promise is not abstract — it is something we live out in community. At St.
Bart’s, Easter begins with the Great Vigil of Easter on Saturday night at 8 p.m., my favorite service of the year.
We gather in the darkness, kindle a new fire, and proclaim that Christ is risen. It is a powerful, ancient liturgy that moves from silence to light, from sorrow to joy. On Easter morning, we continue the celebration with a 9 a.
m. service, followed by an Easter egg hunt for the children and a joyful brunch for all at 10 a.m.
We gather again at 11 a.m. to sing our alleluias, hear the good news, and share in the Eucharist.
In these sacred moments, surrounded by people of all ages, I see the Resurrection at work — life renewed, hope rekindled, and love made manifest. Christ is risen, and so are we. We believe that in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has revealed not only divine power but also deep and abiding grace.
The empty tomb is not just a sign of victory — it is an invitation. Christ’s resurrection opens the way for each of us to share in new life, to be transformed by God’s love, and to live with courage and compassion in a world that is often marked by suffering..
