A Moveable Feast. Not to be confused with Hemingway’s famous autobiographical book, bearing this title, which describes his years as a young writer in Paris, full of joie de vivre (joy of life). No, the moveable feast, I’m referring to is Easter. Long before Hemingway wrote his memoir, Easter was known as a “moveable feast” because it was a Christian celebratory feast day which fell on a different date each year, unlike the other Christian holidays with fixed dates. In 2019, Easter’s moveable feast, falls on April 21st.
This description of Easter seems perfectly suited in more than just it’s nomadic calendar setting. A “moveable feast” suggests that this is a celebration we can take with us, where ever we go. It’s moveable and living, just as we are, just as Christ is. Like packing a fantastic picnic feast, we can celebrate Christ’s living presence in any and every place and situation we find ourselves. But a delicious picnic requires preparation. Historically, the Christian church has set apart the 40 days before Easter to prepare for the “feast” celebrating Christ’s saving death and resurrection.
Starting March 10th, the Pastors will begin leading us in this preparation by taking each consecutive day in the Passion Week (the week of Jesus life before his death), and giving a Sunday dedicated to explaining what Jesus said and did on that day. This will give our congregation seven sweet weeks dedicated to packing our moveable feast. At the beginning of the Passion Week, the day after Jesus triumphal entry to Jerusalem, certain Greeks came to the disciples with this request, “Sir, we would see Jesus.” (John 12:20)
This was their passionate request. And this is what has energized the upcoming Sermon Series and our corresponding Common Life Book for these preparatory weeks, as our Pastors preach us through Jesus last week. We, too, want to see Jesus! Dallas Willard, a Jesus loving theologian and teacher has observed, “The key to loving God is to see Jesus, to hold him before the mind with as much fullness and clarity as possible. It is to adore Him.” To see Jesus, to watch him heal, to really listen to his words of forgiveness, comfort and rebuke; prepares us. To see how he chose to spend his last hours, what he decided to teach, how he used his power and how he didn’t use his power transforms us. As Jesus assured his disciples during those last days, “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11) Jesus himself, prepares us to relish our “moveable feast”. We would see Jesus and know the joie de vie (joy of life) which is His life in us this coming Easter.
Faith Parker
You can find more information on the “We would see Jesus” Easter Common Life Book at https://fellowshipsj.life/the-common-life-book