I talk about this every year in February so people forgive me by “Easter”.
Why not do egg hunts the Saturday before Resurrection morning? Fill all the eggs you want with whatever seems appropriate…make yourselves available to all the moms and dads that are walking with their children. Offer them coffee, a handshake or a hug as indicated, give them a chance to talk to adults as they’re walking with their children. Show friendliness and love, and thousands of eggs if you will…so the drawing power of love is a stronger motivation to get up on every Sunday morning than half melted chocolate is for one Sunday morning. Tell them to come early for coffee and that you’ll save them a seat. Tell them their children are welcome and will hear great things about Jesus.
On that day that the Bible tells us saw Mary rejoicing to know Jesus was alive!, the day that Jesus put His own blood on the mercy seat in Heaven, is it really God honoring to tell His story with an underlying anxiety to get things finished early so all the visitors aren’t inconvenienced and the hunting of eggs can commence?
I think I might be the only person who sees hunting eggs filled with candy on the single most important day of Christian life, mine or others, as an unwitting distraction of the telling of Jesus’ sacrifice, the event that is the Gospel.
I’ve heard it said, in many ways over many years, that Resurrection morning egg hunts are a method of evangelism because parents that normally sleep in on Sunday mornings will come out because there’s an egg hunt. I have never seen anyone ask for a show of hands two months later for people who were born again after an egg hunt, however.
There are 364 other days in the year to have festivals. Though I may have since repented of it, I may have been known to say, “May the Easter clothes become forever stained with melted chocolate.”
The love that put the sacrifice on the Lord is worthy of undivided attention. There are other days to celebrate Skittles and Hershey. If we hurry, we can get half price Valentine candy that will still be edible in April.
And it is written that you have to forgive me if you want your prayers answered, even if you disagree, because Jesus was resurrected. Otherwise we couldn’t be redeemed. The blood shows the love.
For His Glory 