Easter Greeting

Happy Easter!!

This was how I was greeting everyone this morning. A few “Good Mornings!” but mostly “Happy Easter!!”

Then an interesting thing happened. Someone greeted me with a hug and “He is risen!”. I was taken aback. Do I respond with the way we respond at the beginning of the service? Is that what this person is expecting?

At the beginning of the service, Pastor starts the service with “Christ is risen!” and we all respond, “He is risen indeed!”. Then he repeats it even louder, and we respond louder. And a third time, even louder.

So is this what the person was expecting? “He is risen!” “He is risen indeed!!”

I stumbled. I hesitated and the person drew back and looked at me. I shyly said “he is risen indeed”. Quietly. Like I was afraid someone would hear me.

What is up with that??? I’m not a shy person, at least not anymore (that’s a whole other story because I really used to be introverted and shy). So why did I respond this way?

I think I was caught off guard. I didn’t expect that. I expected “Happy Easter!” or “Good Morning!” but not a blatant expression of our basic belief. An obvious expression of our faith. We are Lutheran after all. Lutherans are quiet about their faith. We worship God in a joyful but reverent way. We will tell someone about our faith but only if we are asked. We don’t shout out during services with “Amens” or “Praise the Lord!”. That is why Pastor has to say the Easter greeting three times. We aren’t used to this shouting thing in church. Singing loud, yes. Shouting, no.

So for someone to express their faith so openly and happily completely thru me off. At least that time.

About a half hour later, I saw a friend walk into the church and she came up and hugged me and said “He is risen!”. I immediately responded with “He is risen indeed!”. Easily. Openly. Happily.

This should be our Easter Greeting. Not a quick “Happy Easter!”. Not such a generic greeting that covers both the Christian world and the secular world. Not a greeting that is at home on cards with a picture of the empty tomb and also a card with the Easter bunny. It’s a joyful greeting but an easy almost shallow greeting. Said quickly and happily but not with any true meaning behind it.

“He is risen!” “He is risen indeed!!”

A greeting that is deep, profound and a wonderful expression of our faith. A greeting that truly expresses the reason for the holiday. The reason we were all gathered this morning to lift our voices in joyful praise to God for giving His one and only Son to save us from our sins. The reason we gather every Sunday to worship and praise. This greeting succinctly and completely expresses the reason we are Christians.

All together now: HE IS RISEN!

HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!