10 Ways to Keep Easter in the Next 48 Days

This potent but straightforward exchange is one way we extend the American sentimentalism from one day of the year to 50.

Is Easter over?

Theologically, we know that the earthquake of Easter will reverberate until the Second Coming of the Messiah. And liturgically, Easter is in no way over. In fact, Easter has just begun. The joy of Easter lasts until June 7th, which means we still have 48 days of Eastertide. Easter is far from over, and there is much more rejoicing to do in the next seven weeks.

The difficulty for many of us is keeping this Easter enthusiasm for such a lengthy period. The reason many evangelicals are ready to get to the next thing is that they lack a sense of liturgical rhythm. Lent took us through a 40-day journey, but the Easter joy takes us through a 50-day journey. Easter is superior to Lent not only in the length of days but also in the quality of the world. Lent prepares us for a journey towards Calvary, while Easter takes us through a victory march. Through Easter, we are reminded to put away our sadness and embrace the heavenly trumpet sound to all the corners of the earth. “He is risen!, He is risen!, He is risen!” The devil trembles, the enemies fear, the forces of evil shake, and the sound of sin is silenced when death was defeated.

What does this mean?

It means we must be busy in the business of celebrating. For dads and moms, young and old, we have much to do to preserve and pervade this season with jubilance. I want to propose ten ways we can do that in the remaining 48 days of the Easter season.

First, we should set aside time at our dinner table by reading the Resurrection narratives before each meal (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21). These narratives will remind us and our children of the details of that monumental occasion in history. After reading these passages for a couple of weeks, you may wish to read the I Corinthians 15 text focusing on the centrality of the resurrection in the Gospel proclamation.