Easter

I recently received an e-mail from a Unitarian Universalist asking if I had ideas about Easter, as she was in the process of preparing an Easter sermon. In addition to being flattered, I was overwhelmed. “Noooo,” I thought “not Easter! I’m not Christian. What could I have to say about Easter?”

Each year, I have reservations about observing Easter. To some extent, I feel that it is other people’s holiday, rather than my own.

And yet, Easter is an important holiday in many Unitarian Universalist congregations. Some of the Easter services I have attended in Unitarian Universalist congregations have been deeply moving to me. The best services communicated the joy and hope of Easter, in a way that was accessible to me even without belief in Jesus’s physical resurrection.

Unitarian Universalists continue to observe Christian holidays, particularly Christmas and Easter, for several reasons. Unitarianism and Universalism both developed out of the Christian tradition. These holidays link us to our collective history and to past generations of Unitarians and Universalists. For those who grew up observing Christianity, the holidays may also provide a link to personal history, and to past generations of loved ones. For all of us, these holidays encourage us to learn more about the Christian tradition, and to reflect on the themes and ideas therein.

Since Unitarian Universalists approach Easter from many viewpoints, I want to share with you these two recent blog posts by other Unitarian Universalists writing about Easter:

“I Want to Preach about Jesus…”

and

“Experiencing Easter”

If you would like more information about Unitarian Universalists who are followers of Jesus, please visit Freely Following Jesus, a website produced by the Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship.