Easter

A Second Chance

God always wants the best for us,
But in Eden we sinned; we really blew it.
We disobeyed God’s direct decree;
We separated from Him, and we knew it.

You’d think we’d learn to behave ourselves,
But through all time, we just kept doing it;
Piling wrong on top of wrong,
Our punishment—we kept accruing it.

Jesus came and changed all that;
He paid the price for all our sins;
When we repent and believe in Him,
We change, and a better life begins.

Easter stands for a second chance
For us to choose to put things right;
If we repent, and really believe,
Our record is polished clean and bright.

When Jesus rose from the dead back then,
He guaranteed our eternal life,
Reunited with God in heaven,
Free from tears and fears and strife.

Easter ensures paradise
For all of us, for you and me;
We’re reconciled to our Lord and King
For now and all eternity.

By Joanna Fuchs

***

An Easter Canticle

In every trembling bud and bloom
That cleaves the earth, a flowery sword,
I see Thee come from out the tomb,
Thou risen Lord.

In every April wind that sings
Down lanes that make the heart rejoice;
Yea, in the word the wood-thrush brings,
I hear Thy voice.

Lo! every tulip is a cup
To hold Thy morning’s brimming wine;
Drink, O my soul, the wonder up—
Is it not Thine?

The great Lord God, invisible,
Hath roused to rapture the green grass;
Through sunlit mead and dew-drenched dell,
I see Him pass.

His old immortal glory wakes
The rushing streams and emerald hills;
His ancient trumpet softly shakes
The daffodils.

Thou art not dead! Thou art the whole
Of life that quickens in the sod;
Green April is Thy very soul,
Thou great Lord God.

By Charles Hanson Towne

***

An Easter Carol

Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer;
Death is strong, but Life is stronger,
Stronger than the dark, the light,
Stronger than the wrong, the right,
Faith and Hope triumphant say
Christ will rise on Easter Day.

While the patient earth lies waking
Till the morning shall be breaking,
Shuddering ‘neath the burden dread

of her Master, cold and dead —
Hark! she hears the Angels say
Christ will rise on Easter Day.

Up and down our lives obedient
Walk dear Christ, with footsteps radiant,
Till those garden lives shall be
Fair with duties done for Thee
And our thankful spirits say,
Christ arose on Easter Day.

And when sunrise smites the mountains,
Pouring light fom Heavenly fountains.
Then the earth blooms out to greet
Once again the blessed feet;
And her countless voices say
Christ has risen on Easter Day.

By Phillips Brooks

***

An Easter Flower Gift

O dearest bloom the seasons know,
Flowers of the Resurrection blow,
Our hope and faith restore;
And through the bitterness of death
And loss and sorrow, breathe and breath
Of life forevermore!

The thought of Love Immortal blends
With fond rememberances of friends;
In you, O sacred flowers,
By human love made doubly sweet,
The heavenly and the earthly meet,
The heart of Christ is ours!

By John Greenleaf Whittier

***

An Easter Memory

A little girl at Easter time
Is a beautiful sight to see,
Wearing a bonnet with frills upon it
And her face so bright with glee.
Such a pretty and excited little girl
As she gazes in curiosity and delight
At others wearing their Easter bonnets
And the white lilies they are holding tight.

A little girl is precious

As she struts about her way,
So much alertness and excitement
On this lovely Easter Day.
Not a basket left untouched,
Colored eggs and cellophane everywhere,
And her actions indicate happiness,
Not a single agitation or care.

A little girl is smiling
When at last her nightly prayers are said,

And she thinks of the Easter activities
While lying in her comfortable bed,
Aware of of her bonnet and chocolate bunnies
And the laden baskets trimmed so grand.
The memory she treasures of Easter
Is the white lily she held in her hand.

By Joseph T. Renaldi

***

An Easter Prayer

God, give us eyes to see
the beauty of the Spring,
And to behold Your majesty
in every living thing.

And may we see in lacy leaves
and every budding flower
The Hand that rules the universe
with gentleness and power.

And may this Easter grandeur
that Spring lavishly imparts
Awaken faded flowers of faith
Luing dormant in our hearts.

And give us ears to hear, dear God
the Springtime song of birds
With messages more meaningful
than man’s often empty words.

Telling harried human beings
who are lost in dark despair
‘Be like us and do not worry
for God has you in his care.’

By Helen Steiner Rice

***

Celebrate Our Savior

On Easter morn, we celebrate our Savior;
Whatever people seek in Him, they find.
In history, there has never been another
So holy, sacrificial, good and kind.

His resurrection makes us all immortal;
In heaven, we’ll be together with our King.
Eternally we’ll share in all His blessings;
Happy Easter! Jesus Christ is everything!

By Joanna Fuchs

***

Easter

Let every heart be filled with joy,
A joy of thankfulness to our Savior and King!
He is victorious over sin and death.
He conquered death to give us a new life.

A life blossoms through His unending love.
It is for a cause and without condition
The love that brings healing and reconciliation,
A pure love that creates in us real peace.

Peace that springs from his sacred heart,
A heart that bleeds for our affliction.
It is full of mercy and compassion,
A heart wounded for our sins and vainglory.

Rejoice! Jesus is truly risen from the dead
For us to live once again,
To live without blemish of pride,
And live a life unselfishly for others in need.

By Estela Canama

***

Easter

Most glorious Lord of Lyfe! that, on this day,
Didst make Thy triumph over death and sin;
And, having harrowd hell, didst bring away
Captivity thence captive, us to win:
This joyous day, deare Lord, with joy begin;
And grant that we, for whom thou diddest dye,
Being with Thy deare blood clene washt from sin,
May live for ever in felicity!

And that Thy love we weighing worthily,

May likewise love Thee for the same againe;
And for Thy sake, that all lyke deare didst buy,
With love may one another entertayne!
So let us love, deare Love, lyke as we ought,
–Love is the lesson which the Lord us taught.

By Edmund Spenser

***

Easter

Rise, heart, thy lord is risen. Sing his praise
Without delays,
Who takes thee by the hand, that thou likewise
With him may’st rise:
That, as his death calcinèd thee to dust,
His life may make thee gold, and, much more, just.

Awake, my lute, and struggle for thy part
With all thy art,
The cross taught all wood to resound his name

Who bore the same.
His stretchèd sinews taught all strings what key
Is best to celebrate this most high day.

Consort, both heart and lute, and twist a song
Pleasant and long;
Or, since all music is but three parts vied
And multiplied
Oh let thy blessèd Spirit bear a part,
And make up our defects with his sweet art.

By George Herbert

***

Easter

Lent gathers up her cloak of sombre shading
In her reluctant hands.
Her beauty heightens, fairest in its fading,
As pensively she stands
Awaiting Easter’s benediction falling,
Like silver stars at night,
Before she can obey the summons calling
Her to her upward flight,
Awaiting Easter’s wings that she must borrow
Ere she can hope to fly–

Those glorious wings that we shall see to-morrow
Against the far, blue sky.
Has not the purple of her vesture’s lining
Brought calm and rest to all?
Has her dark robe had naught of golden shining
Been naught but pleasure’s pall?
Who knows? Perhaps when to the world returning
In youth’s light joyousness,
We’ll wear some rarer jewels we found burning
In Lent’s black-bordered dress.

So hand in hand with fitful March she lingers
To beg the crowning grace
Of lifting with her pure and holy fingers
The veil from April’s face.
Sweet, rosy April–laughing, sighing, waiting
Until the gateway swings,
And she and Lent can kiss between the grating
Of Easter’s tissue wings.
Too brief the bliss–the parting comes with sorrow.
Good-bye dear Lent, good-bye!
We’ll watch your fading wings outlined to-morrow
Against the far blue sky.

By Emily Pauline Johnson

***

Easter

Easter Sunday, was always a day,
you’d never evade! For people
dressed, in their finery, just to go
to the Easter Parade. Strolling
down Fifth Avenue, was a sight
beyond compare! Women, in their
fancy clothes and hats, came from
everywhere. Each one, outdoing
one another, assuming what they
wore, was truly the best. Some men,

not to be overlooked, donned their
best clothes and wore a fancy vest.
Where else could you see such a
sight and get all of it for free? I’m
lucky, I was able to take part of
this, as there’s no place else, I’d
rather be!

By Audrey Heller

***

Easter

Bunnies and colored eggs.
Pastel shades,
And folks dressed for church.
Commemorating,
The resurrection of Jesus.
After his crucifixion.

Although this is not Christmas,
Also celebrated by christians.

It is on the Sunday…
Following the full moon next
After the vernal equinox,
Welcomes Spring to bloom at its best.

Falling between March 22nd,
And April 25th.
‘Eastre’ that Spring Goddess…
Brings a sense of joy,
And merriment with it!

By Lawrence S. Pertillar

***

Easter

Bring flowers to strew His way,
Yea, sing, make holiday;
Bid young lambs leap,
And earth laugh after sleep.

For now He cometh forth
Winter flies to the north,
Folds wings and cries
Amid the bergs and ice.

Yea, Death, great Death is dead,
And Life reigns in his stead;
Cometh the Athlete
New from dead Death’s defeat.

Cometh the Wrestler,
But Death he makes no stir,
Utterly spent and done,
And all his kingdom gone.

By Katharine Tynan

***

Easter

Rise, heart, thy lord is risen. Sing his praise
Without delays,
Who takes thee by the hand, that thou likewise
With him may’st rise:
That, as his death calcinиd thee to dust,
His life may make thee gold, and, much more, just.

Awake, my lute, and struggle for thy part
With all thy art,
The cross taught all wood to resound his name
Who bore the same.
His stretchиd sinews taught all strings what key
Is best to celebrate this most high day.

Consort, both heart and lute, and twist a song
Pleasant and long;
Or, since all music is but three parts vied
And multiplied
Oh let thy blessиd Spirit bear a part,
And make up our defects with his sweet art.

By George Herbert

***

Easter At Spanish Cove

As always when a holiday is here
Food miraculously arrives
For Spanish Cove they have
Cooks where perfection thrives

Fresh, delicious and tasty
Tables set up with such style
Folks lined up to fill their plates
Food that satisfies for awhile

Lovely flowers graced the tables
And put everyone in the mood
For Easter dinner is special
Nowhere can you find better food

The color and freshness of fruit
Adorned the enormous salad bar
Looking very festive as well
And wanted to be the star

I hope you had a special Easter
Like the folks who love to rove
A delicious dinner like the ones
Who had Easter at Spanish Cove!

By Marilyn Lott

***

Easter Bunny

Here jumps a little bunny
Happy as can be,
Looking for his Easter eggs
Jumping right to me.
He’s sniffing for some eggs
How many will he find?
Around and around he goes
Kicking up his hinds.
He’s jumping up and down
He’s looking in the grass,

He is a happy bunny
He’s found one at last,
A smile is on his face
He knows Easter is a bliss,
He will not miss this day
As he jumps to give a kiss,
Right up to my face
He plants his little kiss,
So happy and so bouncy
This Easter he did not miss.

By Debra Pitts

***

Easter Bunny Thief

I have flat feet and a puffy tail
my name is bun bun, I’m a little frail.
I ate my carrots but that’s not enough,
I need some really good sweet stuff.
Off to walmart or the safeway store,
I’ll hide out and try to score.
humm humm good, I really should
jump in that cart, have a little fart.
Away goes Mrs. Curly Mae,
now I can have a chocolate bar today.

hipity hop, hipity hop,
I’ll take my chocolate bar to the street car stop.
I’m just a little bunny, it’s not Easter yet.
I’ll be ready with lot’s of candy,
so don’t you fret.

By Melvina Germain

***

Easter Candy…

Never buy Easter candy
Days before the designated date
Bags of sweets are too handy…
Lusciously tempting a salivating fate

Pastel egg shaped treats disappear
Marshmallow chicks vanish in a blink
Jellybeans evaporate as Easter nears
Chocolate bunnies become extinct

Baskets are filled with empty desire
Pleasurable expectations have fled
Another trip to the store is required
Before tears of disappointment are shed

By Theresa Ann Moore

***

Easter Communion

Pure fasted faces draw unto this feast:
God comes all sweetness to your Lenten lips.
You striped in secret with breath-taking whips,
Those crooked rough-scored chequers may be pieced
To crosses meant for Jesu’s; you whom the East
With draught of thin and pursuant cold so nips
Breathe Easter now; you serged fellowships,
You vigil-keepers with low flames decreased,

God shall o’er-brim the measures you have spent
With oil of gladness, for sackcloth and frieze
And the ever-fretting shirt of punishment
Give myrrhy-threaded golden folds of ease.
Your scarce-sheathed bones are weary of being bent:
Lo, God shall strengthen all the feeble knees.

By Gerard Manley Hopkins

***

Easter Day

The silver trumpets rang across the Dome:
The people knelt upon the ground with awe:
And borne upon the necks of men I saw,
Like some great God, the Holy Lord of Rome.
Priest-like, he wore a robe more white than foam,
And, king-like, swathed himself in royal red,
Three crowns of gold rose high upon his head:
In splendour and in light the Pope passed home.
My heart stole back across wide wastes of years
To One who wandered by a lonely sea,

And sought in vain for any place of rest:
‘Foxes have holes, and every bird its nest,
I, only I, must wander wearily,
And bruise my feet, and drink wine salt with tears.

By Oscar Wilde

***

Easter Eggs For The Homeless

When I’m feeling lost and bored
I contemplate Our Holy Lord
Who rose from the dead on Easter Day
Much to the Devil’s deep dismay!

I sit here in the street and beg –
No, not for me an Easter egg!
Food’s something that I can’t afford
And usually I am ignored.

I thought that Jesus loved the poor
But I don’t believe that anymore,
I think the whole thing is a hoax
When I curl up in my cardboard box.

Is there no justice in this life,
Just hunger, misery and strife?
Did Judas die from suicide?
He might have been wrong but at least he tried!

His silver coins would have helped the poor
And fed a mouth or two for sure,
Perhaps his tortured heart was pure –
Now that’s a thought you can’t endure!

By John Thorkild Ellison

***

Easter Gate

Jesus came to show us how
To live and love on earth, right now.
Then he died to erase our sin,
So the pearly gates would let us in.

Raised from death, Jesus is our guide
Through our own death to the other side.
Believe in Jesus, and you’ll be
Written in the book of eternity.

Easter means, in heaven, life,
Free from sadness, free from strife.
If your name is in God’s journal,
You’re assured of life eternal.

Easter Hymn

Make no mistake; there will be no forgiveness;
No voice can harm you and no hand will save;
Fenced by the magic of deliberate darkness
You walk on the sharp edges of the wave;

Trouble with soul again the putrefaction
Where Lazarus three days rotten lies content.
Your human tears will be the seed of faction
Murder the sequel to your sacrament.

The City of God is built like other cities:
Judas negotiates the loans you float;
You will meet Caiaphas upon committees;
You will be glad of Pilate’s casting vote.

Your truest lovers still the foolish virgins,
Your heart will sicken at the marriage feasts
Knowing they watch you from the darkened gardens
Being polite to your official guests.

By  Alec Derwent Hope

***

Easter Hymn

If in that Syrian garden, ages slain,
You sleep, and know not you are dead in vain,
Nor even in dreams behold how dark and bright
Ascends in smoke and fire by day and night
The hate you died to quench and could but fan,
Sleep well and see no morning, son of man.

But if, the grave rent and the stone rolled by,
At the right hand of majesty on high
You sit, and sitting so remember yet
Your tears, your agony and bloody sweat,
Your cross and passion and the life you gave,
Bow hither out of heaven and see and save.

By Alfred Edward Housman

***

Easter Joy

Jesus came to earth,
To show us how to live,
How to put others first,
How to love and how to give.

Then He set about His work,
That God sent Him to do;
He took our punishment on Himself;
He made us clean and new.

He could have saved Himself,
Calling angels from above,
But He chose to pay our price for sin;
He paid it out of love.

Our Lord died on Good Friday,
But the cross did not destroy
His resurrection on Easter morn
That fills our hearts with joy.

Now we know our earthly death,
Like His, is just a rest.
We’ll be forever with Him
In heaven, where life is best.

So we live our lives for Jesus,
Think of Him in all we do.
Thank you Savior; Thank you Lord.
Help us love like you!

By Joanna Fuchs

***

Easter Love

On Easter we celebrate love,
love coming down from heaven,
love blanketing the earth
in a transforming embrace;
unique and infinite love,
giving more than we can imagine
for us, to cleanse our sin,
a perfect sacrifice, Lamb of God,
the walking, talking Word.
He is teacher, role model, friend,
this God in human form,
dying, then rising from the dead,
proving all who believe
will also rise
to have eternal life, with Him,
Lord of all.
Oh, Happy, Happy Easter!

By Joanna Fuchs

***

Easter Marks Reunion

The Creator of the universe,
the King of Kings,
wanted communion,
wanted to bond
with those He had created;
but He had given them free will,
and they did not respond
to an unknowable God.

So He came to earth
in human form,
to teach, to be a role model.
A Holy God requires
a holy sacrifice for sin.
So God, in human form,
Jesus,
allowed His own sacrifice
for our sins,
so we could be reunited
with our Creator.

His resurrection proves
that we, also, will be resurrected
in Heaven, to mansions and wonders
our God has made for us.
Easter marks the resurrection.
That’s why Easter
is a Christian’s highest Holy Day.
Happy Easter!

By Joanna Fuchs

***

Easter Means Eternal Life

A perfect God demands a perfect justice;
He cannot let us get away with sin.
We used God’s gift of our free will to trespass,
So heaven’s gates were closed; we couldn’t get in.

Our sin required our blood, a sacrifice,
To atone for all the wrongs that we had done.
“But I love them!” cried our Father, filled with sorrow;
“I’ll send my only Son to be the one.”

Good Friday marks the slaying of our Jesus,
The unblemished lamb, the perfect sacrifice.
He took our guilt and blame upon Himself,
So we could be with Him in paradise.

On Easter morning, he came back from death;
He vanished from the tomb, the empty grave.
His resurrection means eternal life
For us, the ones he came to earth to save.

This summarizes all the Easter story
And because of it, we’ll be with Him in glory.

By Joanna Fuchs

***

Easter Monday

In the last letter that I had from France
You thanked me for the silver Easter egg
Which I had hidden in the box of apples
You like to munch beyond all other fruit.
You found the egg the Monday before Easter,
And said. ‘I will praise Easter Monday now –
It was such a lovely morning’. Then you spoke
Of the coming battle and said, ‘This is the eve.
‘Good-bye. And may I have a letter soon’.

That Easter Monday was a day for praise,
It was such a lovely morning. In our garden
We sowed our earliest seeds, and in the orchard
The apple-bud was ripe. It was the eve,
There are three letters that you will not get.

By Eleanor Farjeon

***

Easter Morning

My holy God your love so peaceful,
Brings to the earth at break of dawn,
Brings to the earth renewed forgiveness,
Brings to the earth thy holy light
Shine on the world this Easter morning,
Shine on the world thy holy light,
Bring to the world renewed forgiveness,
Dear lamb of God shine holy light.
River of light spring forth thy kindness,
River of mercy, hope, and joy,

Ever so gently flow thy mercy,
Peacefully flow thy love divine.

By Yolanda A. Seibert

***

Easter Parable

I have died a thousand deaths
And come back alive
A thousand times too
But, I never equated the betrayal
Leading to death and life again
To the Easter parable, till today
You opened a window and showed me

The warmth that remains
And revives me again
Each time to love and life
Is by the purging of self
Through the pyre of pain!

By Angelina Pandian

***

Easter Services

It is a yearly event we cherish
Getting together to honor Jesus
The day is planned carefully
For it is extremely important to us

A sermon created thoughtfully
Each word means so very much
The entire church is sparkling
With an extra sacred touch

The Easter flowers are just lovely
As though grown just for Him
And a day of true remembrance
As we sing our special hymns

Our Sunday school teacher honored
Who is there to help us through
Our trials and tribulations
And an understanding of the bible too

Afterward there are cookies and coffee
Much chatting and camaraderie
To value Jesus and each other every day
Brings tremendous peace and harmony!

By Marilyn Lott

***

Easter Song

I Got me flowers to straw Thy way,
I got me boughs off many a tree;
But Thou wast up by break of day,
And brought’st Thy sweets along with Thee.

The sunne arising in the East,
Though he give light, and th’ East perfume,
If they should offer to contest
With Thy arising, they presume.

Can there be any day but this,
Though many sunnes to shine endeavour?
We count three hundred, but we misse:
There is but one, and that one ever.

By George Herbert

***

Easter Week

See the land, her Easter keeping,
Rises as her Maker rose.
Seeds, so long in darkness sleeping,
Burst at last from winter snows.
Earth with heaven above rejoices;
Fields and gardens hail the spring;
Shaughs and woodlands ring with voices,
While the wild birds build and sing.

You, to whom your Maker granted

Powers to those sweet birds unknown,
Use the craft by God implanted;
Use the reason not your own.
Here, while heaven and earth rejoices,
Each his Easter tribute bring-
Work of fingers, chant of voices,
Like the birds who build and sing.

By Charles Kingsley

***

Easter Week

See the land, her Easter keeping,
Rises as her Maker rose.
Seeds, so long in darkness sleeping,
Burst at last from winter snows.
Earth with heaven above rejoices;
Fields and gardens hail the spring;
Shaughs and woodlands ring with voices,
While the wild birds build and sing.

You, to whom your Maker granted
Powers to those sweet birds unknown,
Use the craft by God implanted;
Use the reason not your own.
Here, while heaven and earth rejoices,
Each his Easter tribute bring-
Work of fingers, chant of voices,
Like the birds who build and sing.

By Charles Kingsley

***

Easter Wings

Lord, Who createdst man in wealth and store,
Though foolishly he lost the same,
Decaying more and more,
Till he became
Most poore:

With Thee
O let me rise,
As larks, harmoniously,
And sing this day Thy victories:

Then shall the fall further the flight in me.

My tender age in sorrow did beginne;
And still with sicknesses and shame
Thou didst so punish sinne,
That I became
Most thinne.

With Thee
Let me combine,

And feel this day Thy victorie;
For, if I imp my wing on Thine,
Affliction shall advance the flight in me.

By George Herbert

***

Easter Zunday

Last Easter Jim put on his blue
Frock cwoat, the vu’st time-vier new;
Wi’ yollow buttons all o’ brass,
That glitter’d in the zun lik’ glass;
An’ pok’d ‘ithin the button-hole
A tutty he’d a-begg’d or stole.
A span-new wes-co’t, too, he wore,
Wi’ yellow stripes all down avore;
An’ tied his breeches’ lags below
The knee, wi’ ribbon in a bow;
An’ drow’d his kitty-boots azide,
An’ put his laggens on, an’ tied
His shoes wi’ strings two vingers wide,
Because ‘twer Easter Zunday.

An’ after mornen church wer out
He come back hwome, an’ stroll’d about
All down the vields, an’ drough the leane,
Wi’ sister Kit an’ cousin Jeane,
A-turnen proudly to their view
His yollow breast an’ back o’ blue.
The lambs did play, the grounds wer green,
The trees did bud, the zun did sheen;
The lark did zing below the sky,
An’ roads wer all a-blown so dry,
As if the zummer wer begun;
An’ he had sich a bit o’ fun!
He meade the maidens squeal an’ run,
Because ‘twer Easter Zunday.

By Ingeborg Bachmann

***

Easter!

Now it’s the time of the year again
When Easter is making its coming plain
Whether its date was right or wrong
Upon a tree the Saviour was hanged
A place which He was never belonged
Its Christ crucifixion that brings us Easter

Though He died of much agony and pain

Christ’s death to save us was never in vain
Evil might’ve thought it was making gain
Not knowing Jesus’ death was to save life
That was suffering losses from evil’s strife
Christ crucifixion brings to the world Easter

Like a humble lamb Jesus went to the cross
Where by His shed blood sin was outclassed
And made human’s death by sin to be tossed
Only by what had been done at Calvary’s Cross

Man’s life had been redeemed Jesus paid the cost
Christ crucifixion is allowing us to celebrate Easter

Now there is no need for anyone’s soul to be lost
Since Jesus Christ took the task and gave sin a blast
We all can clap our hands and jump, dance and prance
Through the great Saviour who gave us a second chance
Sin had lost by the blood of Christ now we can all dance.
By Christ crucifixion we are allowed to celebrate Easter.

By Clarence Prince

***

Easter’s Past

Sitting in Church
Listening to sermons
With white patent leather shoes
A fancy dress and little white gloves
With a new purse,
My brothers all dressed
In nice shirts and pants,
My mom dressed up like a movie star
With her beautiful dress and hat,
My step dad who never cared for church

He even dressed up for the day.

And in our pockets
Were chocolate eggs and jelly beans
We were told not to take to church
But we couldn’t help it.
I would peek at my brothers
Sneaking candy out of their pockets
And when mom wasn’t looking
I would sneak some out of my purse,

And slowly let the chocolate egg
Dissolve in my mouth
I couldn’t let her see me chewing
Not in church!

We would come home
Have an egg hunt
That we enjoyed so much
That we all would hide the eggs again
Ourselves
Then we had a nice big Easter dinner
Maybe even play monopoly
While eating more Easter candy.

I know the holiday was about Jesus
Being resurrected
I had spent many years
In classes learning these things
But somehow Easter
Just reminds me more of
Family togetherness and love
And visits from the Easter Bunny
And I don’t think Jesus would mind that at all.

By Connie Webb

***

Every Sunday’s A Little Easter

Every Sunday to me is Easter,
Don’t need it to roll around but once a year to see,
For I look forward to Christ’s Resurrection,
And what He gave on a cross at Calvary.

Don’t need to see the cross before me,
Or see the stone that was rolled aside.
For Christ lives within each of us,
If only we’d only allow Jesus to come inside.

To warm our hearts… to quench our thirst,
To bring us joy that no man could ever do.
To be all that He is and will ever be,
To shine His glorious love through and through!

So put on your best bib and tucker this Sunday,
And every Sunday thereafter and on,
For little Easter’s come each Sunday,
For all of God’s children everlasting to feast upon.

By Linda Winchell

***

Freedom In The Cross

There’s something that occurred
on that evening at Calvary
that created such a lavish stir
in all of history.

Upon that old rugged cross
our Savior bared it all
and offered himself a sacrifice
to overspread humanity’s fall.

The sacred blood that was spilled
wiped clean the sinner’s slate.
Christ paid the price for everyone
and carried our weight.

A willing heart endured the pain,
and purpose paved His way.
He opened the eyes of every man
To whom He came to save.

Though the tragedy of that day
will be mourned by those around,
our joy is found three days later
when He arose from the very ground.

And through that selfless act of love,
we were given new life in Him,
set loose from our bondages
to experience true freedom within.

By Olivia Lakis

***

He Did It For Me

It was for me Christ Jesus died.
So that I could live, He was crucified.
Jesus was innocent, he knew no sin.
But yet He died for sinful men.

It was for me Jesus paid the price.
He became the ultimate sacrifice.
Oh, the depth of the love of one.
Who would offer up his only son?

It was for love God gave His all
to restore mankind after the fall.
The debt was huge and the price high,
therefore an innocent man had to die.

God could find no one else to qualify
to pay the awful debt for you and I.
Because sin was found in one and all,
only Jesus could answer the call.

So out of His endless love for man
God unfolded His perfect plan.
Jesus said, “I’ll give my life for man.”
And God said, “I’ll raise you up again.”

And through the death of Jesus Christ
we all have access to eternal life.
From east to west, in all directions,
we give thanks for the resurrection.

By Lenora McWhorter

***

I Am The Easter Bunny

I am the Easter Bunny,
I really do exist,
And if you think that’s funny,
I’ll smash you with my fist.

I am the Easter Bunny,
And I come around in Spring,
When it gets warm and sunny,
And the birds begin to sing.

I am the Easter Bunny,
And I loath those little birds,
With eggs so gross and runny,
I hate them beyond words.

I am the Easter Bunny,
And I have a habit strange,
I like to take those slimy eggs,
And boil them on my range.

I am the Easter Bunny,
But I’m an herbivore,
So I take those crummy hard-boiled eggs,
And leave them at your door.

By Richard Dates

***

Just Prayers

No colored eggs
Or bunnies here,
Just deep-felt love
For Christ, so dear.

No easter baskets
Full of fluff,
No jelly beans
And other stuff.

No superior looks,
No strife, no fights
With those who keep
The worldly rites.

No condemnation
For those who do,
Just prayers for them
To love Him, too.

By Joanna Fuchs

***

Love To The Fullest

Love to the fullest once roamed our earth.
He arrived here by means of a heavenly birth.

From the very beginning most everyone knew
there was something so special this child would do.

As time would prevail He became a man,
teaching us love from God’s own hand.

Though to some He knew He would be such a dread.
They never could rest until He was dead!

He knew His own fate from beginning to end.
He knew and still loved His betraying friend.

He carried His cross using His own two feet
to die for our sins and our total defeat.

Why did He do it? No reason but love!
He wanted to help us to heaven above.

Who was this man with such merciful love?
None other than Jesus, our Savior above!

By Patricia L. Cisco 

***

Meaning

When Jesus came on the scene
He came in a way that was humble
Here on earth
He never mumbled nor grumbled

Man shed innocent blood
When Jesus died on the cross
They thought they were above God
In the end they found out who was boss

Easter is a day set aside
For Christ’s death, burial and resurrection
If in your life you’re not living right
This is the time to make corrections

Easter shouldn’t be celebrated
With nice clothes and beautiful hats
God’s death, burial and resurrection
Has nothing to do with that

Jesus bore the cross
Heading for Calvary
Through God’s love
Allowed us to be free

He was put in His tomb
And on the 3rd day He got out
So I could capture salvation
And for this reason I can jump and shout

Now when I think of Easter
I don’t think of material things
I use it as a reminder
Of the joy it brings.

By Michael A Burke Sr

***

No Second Chance

If there was no resurrection,
there would be no hope for mankind.
We would have no second chance
and no peace of mind.

The love of God is clearly seen
in the sacrifice of His Son,
who took our punishment and our sin
and offered redemption for everyone.

Had not Jesus died on the cross,
had His life not been sacrificed,
there would be no forgiveness of sin
and there would be no eternal life.

Jesus did no wrong and knew no sin.
But for love’s sake He died…
so our sin debt could be paid in full.
He gave Himself to be crucified.

The good news of salvation
comes to us by the way of the cross.
God raised up Jesus from the dead
so that no man need be lost.

Oh, what love the Father has for us,
shown by the gift He freely gave.
So that we could have a second chance.
God raised Jesus from the grave.

By Lenora McWhorter

***

On Easter Day

The silver trumpets rang across the Dome:
The people knelt upon the ground with awe:
And borne upon the necks of men I saw,
Like some great God, the Holy Lord of Rome.
Priest-like, he wore a robe more white than foam,
And, king-like, swathed himself in royal red,
Three crowns of gold rose high upon his head:
In splendor and in light the Pope passed home.
My heart stole back across wide wastes of years
To One who wandered by a lonely sea,

And sought in vain for any place of rest:
“Foxes have holes, and every bird its nest,
I, only I, must wander wearily,
And bruise My feet, and drink wine salt with tears.”

By Oscar Wilde

***

Rejoice, Rejoice!

“Rejoice, Rejoice! ” “For Jesus has risen from the grave! ”
His Father placed Him in the womb of a virgin
Then His life for us on a cross one day He gave.

His Father said that He would rise up
Then, in three days ascend, unto His Father’s home.
He is not where you now look for Him
He has rolled away the tombs, heavy stone.

While Mary was in the garden’s yard

She had seen Jesus walking there.
While others were in such deep sorrow of loss
As the King’s guards on watch, slept un-aware.

“The King of man has risen! ”
He did the job that was meant for humanity to do.
He died upon a cross at, ”Calvary”
He seen that His mission was complete
And He did this all for me and you.

So if you too seek after Him
You needn’t go to the tomb to see.
Just kneel down before the cross in prayer
Asking God’s forgiveness
Where He now, can always live inside of thee.

By Linda Winchell

***

Resurrection

Ridiculed and mocked, nailed to a cross.
Each of his followers mourning his loss.
Set down from on high, placed in a cave.
Unmovable stone in front of his grave.
Roman soldiers guarded the solemn room,
Rejecting attempts to enter the tomb.
Entrance sealed so no one could steal
Christ’s body, which had a great appeal.
Then on the third day, Mary could not believe
Inside the cave – no body to grieve.
On Sunday he was seen it was said.
Now God had raised His son from the dead.

By Eric R. Harvey

***

The Easter Bunny Hop

Hippity hop, hippity hop
The Easter Bunny does not stop
Hippity hop, hippity hop
The Easter Bunny does his crazy bop
The Easter Bunny’s ears do flop when he goes….
Hippity hop, hippity hop
So come on
Come on and join on in today
As the Easter Bunny goes
Hippity hop, hippity hop

All along The Bunny Trail
To bring a smile to…..
All the faces of the children of tomorrow’s future

By Ramona Thompson

***

The Easter Decorations

O take away your dried and painted garlands!
The snow-cloth’s fallen from each quicken’d brow,
The stone’s rolled off the sepulchre of winter,
And risen leaves and flowers are wanted now.

Send out the little ones, that they may gather
With their pure hands the firstlings of the birth,—
Green-golden tufts and delicate half-blown blossoms,
Sweet with the fragrance of the Easter earth;

Great primrose bunches, with soft, damp moss clinging
To their brown fibres, nursed in hazel roots;
And violets from the shady banks and copses,
And wood-anemones, and white hawthorn shoots;

And tender curling fronds of fern, and grasses
And crumpled leaves from brink of babbling rills,
With cottage-garden treasures—pale narcissi
And lilac plumes and yellow daffodils.

Open the doors, and let the Easter sunshine
Flow warmly in and out, in amber waves,
And let the perfume floating round our altar
Meet the new perfume from the outer graves.

And let the Easter “Alleluia!” mingle
With the sweet silver rain-notes of the lark;
Let us all sing together!—Lent is over,
Captivity and winter, death and dark

By Ada Cambridge

***

The Easter Flower

Far from this foreign Easter damp and chilly
My soul steals to a pear-shaped plot of ground,
Where gleamed the lilac-tinted Easter lily
Soft-scented in the air for yards around;

Alone, without a hint of guardian leaf!
Just like a fragile bell of silver rime,
It burst the tomb for freedom sweet and brief
In the young pregnant year at Eastertime;

And many thought it was a sacred sign,
And some called it the resurrection flower;
And I, a pagan, worshiped at its shrine,
Yielding my heart unto its perfumed power.

By Claude McKay

***

The Easter Story

esus came to compensate
For all the wrongs we do.
He came to earth to die for us,
So we’d be born anew.

“This bitter cup, let it pass from me,”
He cried, in a plaintive voice;
“Yet not My will, but Thine be done;”
He said, in His faithful choice.

The Judas kiss would seal his fate;
He faced a hostile crowd;
The governor, Pilate, saw through it all;
Jesus’ guilt he disavowed.

“I wash my hands of all of this,”
Said Pilate, “Let Him be.”
But the crowd yelled “Crucify him now,
And set Barabbas free!”

Pilate yielded to their wish;
And Jesus was led away.
The soldiers beat him, and mocked Him, too,
Yet He continued to obey.

A crown of thorns lay on His head,
As His sentence was carried out;
His hands and feet were pierced with nails,
But He did not scream or shout.

“Father, forgive them for this crime;
They know not what they do.”
He said this despite His torment, because,
He was thinking of me and you.

“It is finished,” he sighed in His anguish and pain,
As His body gave up to death.
The curtain tore, and darkness fell,
After He took His last breath.

The best of the story is the very last part;
It’s why on Easter we’re filled with pleasure:
Death could not our Savior hold;
His power is beyond all measure.

He rose from the grave, and was seen all around;
Ever since, He’s inspired devotion,
And we’ll be with Him for eternity,
When we get our heavenly promotion.

That’s why Easter is a major event:
He suffered and died in our place.
He rose and forgave us and loves us still,
Our Savior of matchless grace.

By Joanna Fuchs

***

The First Easter

Dead they left Him in the tomb
And the impenetrable gloom,
Rolled the great stone to the door,
Dead, they thought, forevermore.

Then came Mary Magdalene
Weeping to that bitter scene,
And she found, to her dismay,
That the stone was rolled away.

Cometh Peter then and John,
Him they’d loved to look upon,
And they found His linen there
Left within the sepulcher.

‘They have taken Him away!’
Mary cried that Easter Day.
Low, she heard a voice behind:
‘Whom is it you seek to find?’

‘Tell me where He is!’ she cried,
‘Him they scourged and crucified.
Here we left Him with the dead!’
‘Mary! Mary!’ Jesus said.

So by Mary Magdalene
First the risen Christ was seen,
And from every heart that day
Doubt’s great stone was rolled away.

By Edgar Albert Guest

***

The Meaning Of Easter

I was heading down the road of destruction,
I mean the path was so clear, there was no obstruction
But on that faithful day,
Jesus stepped in the way
and for this me say: YAY!

Now Jesus, he ain’t just any speed bump,
The wall; him so big, me nah even try jump!
Lived, died and rose-His Father’s will he chose.

My friend, now salvation he gives
Repent my and accept it!
Save you and me from the fiery pit
On himself he lovingly took it
Down in hell he took the key
Doing it all for me!
And now I choose him, and I’m no longer heading to destruction
For with the life he lived, he laid down some construction

The man had no shame

Yet on cavalry, he took my blame
Now me just call his name
And like Clorox
He washes away my stains!
So now I’m no longer heading down the road of destruction

My God so good
In his word, I got my food:
His son he gave,
So that I can be saved
Plus, The Holy Spirit:
Holding my hands
Leading me away from the fiery pit
So now,
I’m no longer heading down the road of destruction
I just believe and Jesus became my obstruction!

By Leslie Alexis

***

The Reason We Celebrate Easter

We celebrate the resurrection
and hail the risen Christ.
We kneel before the rugged cross
where Jesus gave His life.

We lift our hands in total praise
and give thanks to God above
for the great sacrifice He made
to declare His unfailing love.

If we look back to Calvary
where Jesus was crucified,
we can see His nail-pierced hands
and the wounds in His side.

We marvel at Christ’s suffering
and give thanks for His sacrifice
’cause it was for us that Jesus died
so we could have eternal life.

But God raised Jesus from the dead!
And with gratitude we can say,
“Our sin debt has been paid in full,”
so we celebrate Resurrection Day!

By Lenora McWhorter

***

This Life on Earth

Easter means that this life on earth
is not all there is.
Jesus went “to prepare a place for us”
in His Father’s heavenly mansions
for all eternity.
Jesus died for our sins,
paying our penalty,
so that we could be forgiven.
He was resurrected, to prove
that death has no hold
on those who repent
and accept Him as Savior.
This life on earth is a prelude
to eternal joy with our Lord.
Easter is a celebration
of our eternal destiny.

By Joanna Fuchs

***

Thoughts Of Easter

I awoke before dawn this Easter morn,
Laid very still and just thought,
Not of the eggs and bunnies that Easter brings,
But of the gift of life that it brought,
I thought of that cross he carried,
That crown of thorns on his head,
The nails into his body they buried,
Betrayed by even those that he led,
Up that road to Calvary,
Totally sinless too,
Jesus paid the ultimate out of love,
He died for me, for you,
Love keeps no records of right or wrong,
Love doesn’t keep a score,
To our Father in heaven we all belong,
Just as on that day long before,
I looked in the room at my sleeping sons,
Tears slipped from my eyes,
God had done more than I could have done,
To just watch as my son suffered and died,
My Easter held such meaning then,
As I watched the dawn breaking through,
Just thinking of that day so long ago,
When God did what I could not do.

By Deborah Wininger

***

Three Years And Twelve Friends

We’ve been given the greatest gift,
The most precious, wonderful promise ever made.
It’s about the resurrection.
This truth will never fade.

His gift is for all eternity,
Not just a moment in time.
He’s given us a mind-boggling gift.
He was innocent of His crime.

Released from the burden of our sin,
The veil was torn to free.
A promise delivered as the prophecies told.
The ancient ones could see.

Nothing can separate,
No man-made intervention.
We are saved from our mortal sin
By the power of the resurrection.

He came and walked with us
With twelve friends he taught and prayed.
Three years of dedicated ministry,
In His blood our debt is paid.
Amen

By Raelene J. Elliss

***

To All Who Love Him

O God of the Universe,
you shed your glory, your majesty,
your omnipotence
to become human, as Jesus Christ–
to get close to us, to connect with us,
to be our role model and guide for living.
O God of the Universe,
you became the human Jesus Christ,
to know us, to feel all we feel,
to show us how much you love us
by taking within yourself all our sins.
O God of the Universe,
you felt not just one person’s pain
but the pain of all of us,
to wash us clean and bond with us,
your creation, your children.
O God of the Universe,
you proved your trancendent holy power
by rising from the dead,
a sign that all of us who believe in You
will also rise to be with You eternally.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ
is the “Happy” in “Happy Easter.”
Happy Easter to all those who love Him.

By Joanna Fuchs

***

Who Won

From Friday’s tragedy and terror to Sunday’s redeeming cry,
The world has discovered that Christ is real, with evidence man can’t deny.
Truly He’s risen, just as He promised, sitting at God’s right hand;
We have the privilege of calling Him Saviour if we obey His command.

But oh, so costly was this venture, it brought such agony and pain,
Hatred filled the hearts of leaders; somehow their laws they must maintain.
If He won the crowd’s devotion, if they followed in His train,
They would lose prestige and power, they could would not allow His gain!

Make an example of this rebel, the arm of the law must rule supreme;
This young intruder’s no exception, we’ll end this young man’s crazy scheme.
But death will never be the ruler – God had initiated a plan,
Created after the downfall of Adam, Satan must never have rule over man!

Christ gives us choices, we have an option; sin’s penalty paid that we might go free,
God is the author, Christ the Redeemer, nothing can change this eternal decree.
Pharisees tried, thought they had killed Him, yet Jesus rose triumphantly.
He is still Ruler, fully in power, great interceder for you and for me.

By Greta Zwaan

Without Easter

Without Easter,
there would be no hope of heaven.
Without the hope of heaven,
there would be no repentance,
no personal transformation,
no attempt to follow biblical principles.
Without Easter,
the world would be in chaos
and darkness.
Jesus’ death and resurrection
means we can be reborn,
to live better, to do better,
to shine light into the shadows.
Hallelujah!
Happy, Happy Easter.

By Joanna Fuchs

***