Podcasts about eastre

'Easter Origins, Pagan Traditions, Rabbits laying Chicken Eggs, The Exodus & Black People' – 'The African History Network Show' with Michael Imhotep 4-9-23, 9pm EST Easter is a moveable Christian Holiday. It is celebrated on the 1st Sunday following the 1st full moon following the Vernal Equinox. The Vernal (Spring) Equinox marks the first day of Spring which usually comes March 20th or 21st. When Easter is celebrated is based upon Astronomy. This was one of the results of the Council of Nicea in 325 AD (Ecumenical Council). You can look up Easter in an Encyclopedia or Dictionary and it will tell you when it is celebrated. - Michael Imhotep #Easter #Eostre #Ostara #Ishtar #HappyEaster   REGISTER NOW: Next Class Sat. 4-8-23, 2pm EST ‘Ancient Kemet, Moors, Understanding The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade' 12 Wk Online Course. https://theafricanhistorynetwork.com  

Easter Origins, Pagan Traditions, Rabbits laying Chicken Eggs, The Exodus & Black People - TheAHNShow with Michael Imhotep 4-17-22 Support The African History Network through Cash App @ https://cash.app/$TheAHNShow  or PayPal @ TheAHNShow@gmail.com or http://www.PayPal.me/TheAHNShow or visit http://www.AfricanHistoryNetwork.com .   Class #1 Starts Saturday, 4-23-22, 2pm EST:  WATCH CLASSES ON DEMAND NOW!!! ‘Ancient Kemet (Egypt), The Moors & The Maafa: Understanding The Trans-Atlantic Slave Tradel', (LIVE 10 Week Online Course) REGISTER HERE: https://theahn.learnworlds.com/course/ancient-kemet-moors-maafa-trans-atlantic-slave-trade-feb-2022     Come join us in Detroit for the ONE AFRICA: Power in Unity Conference on Sat. April 30 - Sun. May 1, 2022. LIVE STREAMED Worldwide.     REGISTER HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/one-africa-power-in-unity-2-day-conference-in-detroit-mi-tickets-291735176767?aff=MichaelImhotep

Poems and prose from our locked-down actors, reflecting various aspects of Easter including from Thomas Hardy, Leo Tolstoy, AE Housman, Claude McKay and Rowena Bennett.

The Easter Story: What It Is and How It Changed History Easter is one of the most celebrated Christian holidays in the world. Every year Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This day has been a holiday since the early 1900s, but it has roots in ancient times. The story of Easter is told through three main parts: The Last Supper, Jesus' crucifixion, and His resurrection. This blog post will explore each part of this ancient story and how it changed the world forever.   The Last Supper The Last Supper is a term that describes the last meal that Jesus shared with his disciples before being executed. This meal was a Passover Seder, the Jewish celebration of liberation from slavery in Egypt. Symbolically, this meal represented Jesus' death and sacrificed for the sins of all people.   Jesus's Crucifixion Jesus's crucifixion is the second part of the Easter story. This event took place on April 7, 33 AD, and his crucifixion occurred in Jerusalem. The Romans often used crucifixion as a form of punishment for those who rebelled against them, which Jesus did during his life. With help from Pontius Pilate and Judas Iscariot, he was sentenced to crucifixion.   Jesus's Resurrection The most important part of the Easter story is Jesus's resurrection. At first, Jesus's followers were heartbroken and depressed after his death. But after he was resurrected, they went out and spread the good news to everyone. The Bible says that he appeared to his disciples and friends in several places after his death. He spent 40 days with them before ascending to heaven. They told the world what happened on Easter, and the importance of Jesus's resurrection changed everything.   The Story of Easter The story of Easter is told through three primary parts: The Last Supper, Jesus' crucifixion, and His resurrection. The Last Supper is when Jesus broke bread with his followers and said that they would share in his body and blood. Jesus was crucified the following day and died on the cross. He rose from the dead that night, appearing to his followers before ascending into heaven. The story of Easter has been celebrated for centuries by Christians worldwide and has changed our understanding of what it means to live a good life. One of the most significant changes was how Christianity viewed death. Before this story, Christians believed the end-all-be-all was to ascend into heaven as Jesus did after dying on the cross. Afterward, Christians realized that death is not an end but a new beginning for those who believe in Christ's teachings about eternal life.   Did you know... that many thought that Easter began as a pagan holiday to celebrate fertility in the spring. It was called Eastre or Eostra, and it marked the arrival of spring. No, Easter is not a pagan holiday. Easter is the Christian celebration of Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead. Christians believe that Jesus, the Son of God, died for our sins on a Roman cross, was buried, and rose to life again "on the first day of the week, very early in the morning" (Luke 24:1).   Those who claim that Easter is a pagan holiday usually mean that the word Easter is etymologically linked to the name of an ancient goddess or that various pagan groups also held ceremonies in the springtime. Neither claim carries much weight.   First, we'll consider Easter as a pagan holiday because the name Easter has pagan origins. Some say that a Saxon goddess named Eostre is the namesake of our modern holiday. Others say that the word Easter comes from a Germanic goddess named Ostara. The problem with both theories is that there is no objective evidence that anyone ever worshiped a goddess by either name. The only mention of Eostre comes from a passing reference in the history of the Venerable Bede. The first mention of a goddess named Ostara is in a book by Jakob Grimm—and Grimm admitted that he could find no solid link between Easter and pagan celebrations.   Next, we'll consider that Easter is a pagan holiday because its springtime observance coincides with those of pagan religions. There are a plethora of pagan holidays that occur during the season covered by Easter: the Day of Bau (Babylonian), Dark Mother Day (Indian), the Day of Fortuna (Roman), the Feast of Blajini (Romanian), the Feast of Artemis/Diana (Greek/Roman), the Feast of Tellus Mater (Roman), the Festival of Ba'ast (Egyptian), the Festival of Ishtar (Babylonian), the Feast of Elaphebolia (Athenian), and Odin's Day (Norse), to name a few. But sharing a date on the calendar is no proof that two holidays are related. A married couple who celebrate their wedding anniversary on October 31 should not be accused of appropriating Halloween.   In short, claims that Easter is a pagan holiday are based on hearsay, assumptions, and inferences, with no hard evidence to back them up. Even if Easter Sunday were a Christianized version of an ancient pagan holiday, it would not mean that Easter itself is a pagan holiday. No one today is sacrificing to a goddess named Eostre or Ostara. Regardless of what a day may once have meant, today's observance needs to be evaluated based on what it means today. Christians celebrating Easter are no more pagan than are churches who gather to worship on Sunday (so named because it was the pagan "Day of the Sun"). The pagan origins of the names of the days of the week have nothing to do with the church's weekly gatherings, and ancient pagan spring festivals have no real bearing on the modern Christian celebration of Easter.   Although not written about Easter, Romans 14:5–6 can apply: "One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord." If individual Christian worries about some aspects of an Easter celebration, that Christian should do what they believe to be correct. He should not judge others who celebrate differently, nor should the others consider him when no clear biblical guideline is involved. Conclusion The Easter Story is a story of death and resurrection, but it's a story that has changed the world. Every year, Christians worldwide celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ by eating Easter eggs and acknowledging the story of Jesus laying down his life for others. Christians believe that Jesus died as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity and that his death was a victory over sin and death. Many scholars believe that the empty tomb is one of the most historically verifiable facts about Jesus. The message of Easter is one of hope and redemption. The Easter story does not just belong to Christians; it belongs to everyone who celebrates life.

Good Easter Sunday morning to you.This morning my youngest son sat on the sitting room floor with a large Cadbury’s chocolate egg in his hands and asked me, “what are we celebrating, Dad? What are these eggs all about?”“Exactly,” I said.All my children know the story of JC, rising from the dead and all that craic, but there is a significant disconnect between that story and the reality of Easter celebrations, is there not?So I put aside the scheduled piece I’d been working on for today’s Sunday Letters in favour of sharing my thoughts on Easter, what it means to me, and what it says about western industrialised culture.By all means, share your thoughts in the comments below.Easter is a religious festival, but I’m not sure too many people celebrate it as they used to in previous generations, at least in developed countries like Ireland. It’s the same with Christmas. Festivals such as Easter have so-called “pagan” origin, having developed from central Europe's pre-Christian cultures. It was a celebration of the arrival of Spring, of rebirth. According to etymology, the word has its origins in Old English Easterdæg, Eastre, from Proto-Germanic *austron-, meaning "dawn." It is also the name of a goddess of fertility and spring, perhaps originally of sunrise, whose feast was celebrated at the spring equinox. It further originates from aust- "east, or toward the sunrise", from PIE root *aus- "to shine," especially of the dawn.So we can see that rather than remove the celebration completely from its early converts, the Christain Church simply piggy-backed it. Today, Easter is largely a commercial exercise in buying and selling chocolate, and the religious aspect is a sideshow. It seems the Gods of our parents and grandparents, the ones to whom they so devoutly gave themselves, is well and truly dead."God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?"- Friedrich Nietzsche, The Joyful Pursuit of Knowledge and Understanding 1882You might say that the commercialisation of religious faith is an abomination, a measure of the depths to which we have gone from our own humanity, and I’d say you are right. Regardless, it is a good thing, in my opinion, that people have left the Church and found faith in other things. Although, for the most part, that new faith seems to be in Capitalist Gods and celebrity. These are the new rulers of body and mind, and the benchmark of our faith is measured in the accumulation of material comfort. Not only that, they promote a psychological and physiological image of the ideal human being which we pursue to obscene extents. Fake tits, fake lips, fake pecks, botox, liposuction, and gastric band surgery, you name it; we’ll do whatever it takes to achieve the perfect self-image.Perhaps not such a good transition in itself then. As I mentioned in last week’s Sunday Letters, we seem to have left one prison and walked straight into another. Nietzsche said God is dead, but we seem to have replaced him with another more powerful and destructive.I don’t assign myself to any religion. If anything, I am agnostic as far as God goes. I prefer to think for myself thanks very much. I go inside when I have a problem, and lo and behold! I usually find the answers I need, eventually. I don’t seek solace from the discomfort of my life in any other man’s ideology. And it is an ideology of men, not women. Although women in the Church have been equally guilty of vile abuse of their fellow human beings, it has been power-hungry men at its centre. Our will to respect one another, live in harmony and acknowledge a higher order of reality is merely a convenience that allows bullish narcissistic men to take control.It’s not only religion that has been guilty. Political ideologies have been just as destructive to society. Of course, they all start out with an apparent great idea and the best intentions, but their dogmatic idealism invariably leaves certain people out. Some pretend to be secular and inclusive, but it’s not long before cracks start to appear and the original idea becomes outdone by an individual and collective sense of importance. The institution now becomes the point of focus rather than the premise on which it was founded, and in that mode of mind, abuse of power usually follows.If worshipping idols, be they virtual or actual, is your bag, then fire away. It’s not my intent to convince you otherwise. I just don’t understand how any human being in their right mind can bow to an organisation that is so obviously rotten to the core as the Catholic Church. I don’t know why any human being in their right mind does not see the deity in themselves, in fact. Unlike Narcissus, who fell in love with his own image, the self-deity I’m speaking of doesn’t have an image. We’ve got to get behind the veil of the self-image if we are to see it. That’s the tricky bit, and what religion does is present another layer, so instead of becoming clearer, things become more clouded.Jesus Christ is an image. Muhammad, Buddha, and every other (mostly men) persona presented as the epitome of human achievement and spiritual truth stands in the way of that truth. Even our own self-image stands in the way. So when I talk about the self-deity, it is what all these idols point towards rather than are in of themselves.The story of Jesus Christ, his birth, death and subsequent rising is, as are all stories of the Bible, metaphoric. It tells a story; it points the way. It is the story of every human being that ever lived, but instead of seeing this, we believe the story. Today many of us ignore the story. We’ve figured out that there’s a bloke behind the curtain, and all that we saw was just a show. But instead of embracing the real truth, that the birth and death of Christ is a metaphor for our own existence, we’ve exchanged one idol for another. Today we buy chocolate Easter eggs, and we remain lost, perhaps just as we were two thousand years ago.Thanks for taking the time to read my stuff. If you enjoy Sunday Letters, consider supporting my work. I’m on Twitter if you’d like to follow me there. Oh, and there’s the Sunday Letters Podcast. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sundayletters.larrygmaguire.com/subscribe

Should the symbols and customs of easter be included in the observance of Christ's death and resurrection. Are their scriptural reasons we shouldn't include them? (22 minutes) Don't be left out! Listen in!

PAZ E PAX Paz é o mais alto dom a que é dado ao homem alcançar em sua consciência individual. A verdadeira paz, a Paz Profunda dos Rosacruzes, é um estado que na vida ativa do homem comum só pode ser vislumbrado em alguns raros momentos de sua existência. Para que este estado possa ser vivido com abundância, torna-se mister a prática duma disciplina especial, que não é outra senão a da Iniciação, porque esta paz diz essencialmente respeito a cada ser em separado - paz consigo mesmo - e não somente como estado coletivo ou em relação com o exterior. PAX em seu sentido transcendente está ligado à Tríplice Manifestação ou ao Logos Criador propriamente dito. Assim é que a letra P de PITHIS, pais, antepassados, etc., expressa no ser humano o Espírito Universal. A seguinte, ou seja, A, de ALEPH, ALLAHMIRAH, expressa a Alma Universal e, finalmente X de XADU, expressando o Espírito Santo ou o Logos encarnado, completa a Trimurti Indiana, correspondente ao Pai, Filho e Espírito Santo (Brahmã, Shiva e Vishnu), ou ainda Osíris, Ísis e Hórus para os egípcios, todos eles significando respectivamente, o princípio ativo negativo e equilibrante do Universo. PAX não tem somente o significado que lhe corresponde na acepção ocidental, decorrente do paz, pacis - latino. Esta semelhança do termo é apenas aparente, pois trata-se aqui de um vocábulo sânscrito, PAX, que significa comunhão de pensamento, forças reunidas e conjugadas para um ideal a realizar, no sentido de PAXA, forma alada, cujas asas rompem o espaço. O VERDADEIRO SIGNIFICADO DA PÁSCOA Em muitos idiomas, como o português, o nome Páscoa deriva-se do hebraico "Pesach" que significa "Passagem" ou "Passover" no inglês, mas as nações de língua inglesa chamam a Páscoa de "Easter", palavra derivada do nome da deusa teutônica "Ostra" (em escandinavo) ou "Ostern" e "Eastre" (para os teutônicos), que tem sua origem na mitologia desses povos, cuja essência principal era a da fertilidade na primavera. "Ester" do Antigo Testamento é uma repetição da deusa Ishtar, Astarte, Astoreth ou Isis, de quem vem Páscoa ("Easter") e sobre cujo o reino longo e ubíquo pouco é dito do na "Palavra infalível de Deus" (Bíblia). A Páscoa simboliza a capacidade que o ser humano possui de renascer e de renovar-se a cada ciclo do tempo. Esta capacidade esta associada à condição de libertar-se de tudo o que é velho e abrir-se para o novo. Na simbologia cósmica, significa o renascimento da Terra em sua força de fertilidade (primavera) após um período de morte (inverno). O Ovo é o símbolo da imortalidade, da ressurreição e da abundância da vida que é manifesta na Primavera. É o símbolo perfeito do Universo entre os Chineses, os Egípcios, os Gregos, os Romanos, os Persas e outros povos. A Lebre está, assim, associada à Lua que é também o planeta regente da Reprodução, de Fertilidade e de Maternidade. A Lebre, pela sua grande fertilidade e facilidade reprodutiva, tem sido objeto dos mais variados mitos populares. A Lebre chega a ter 42 crias por ano e associa-se também a idéia de Longevidade e de Imortalidade. PROGRAMA VIDA INTELIGENTE com Eustáquio Andréa Patounas Quinta-Feira, 8 às 9 da noite, AO VIVO TV Floripa Canal 4 da NET www.vidainteligente.blogspot.com

I am joined by Angriff and Redbeard, who wish to argue that the Norse Goddess Freyja is the same as the West Germanic goddess of the dawn Eastre/Ostara. They have a great theory that deserves your attention and connects myths of Freyja clearly with other Indo-European goddesses of the dawn.This was originally a patron exclusive stream from June 2019. I made it public in September. You can see more of this patron exclusive content if you sign up to support Survive the Jive on Patreon. This channel depends on your support:Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/survivethejivePatreon: https://www.patreon.com/survivethejiveSubscribestar: https://subscribestar.com/survive-the-jiveFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/SurviveTheJive

The Rabbit's Foot So why are rabbits thought to be lucky? One explanation has to do with their ability to jump, and it’s the reason some folks carry a rabbit’s foot – it represents leaping into the future and moving forward in life.  Others carry a rabbit’s foot to ward off arthritis and rheumatism Experts cannot agree why the rabbit's foot has become synonymous with good luck.  The superstition that a front paw—or a hind paw— of a rabbit can bring good fortune is so old that its origins are lost in the mists of time.  While it may be forgotten exactly why the furry little foot is lucky, the rabbit's foot remains one of the most common of good-luck charms throughout Europe and North America. Hunters believed that the rabbit's foot would bestow the surefootedness of the Rabbit. Those who believe in the superstition don't seem to be able to agree if the foot should be carried in the right pocket or the left. Some insist that it must be the right foot of the rabbit carried in the left pocket or the left foot tucked into the right pocket. The foot may also be secured in a purse, a makeup kit, or the door pocket of an automobile. Wherever one carries the rabbit's foot, the general procedure is to stroke it three or four times before entering into any kind of social event, athletic contest, or gambling effort. Actors take out their rabbit's foot before going on stage or filming a big scene.  Lecturers stroke their bunny's paw before approaching the lectern and making the speech that will inspire the audience. Athletic coaches likely wear out several rabbit's feet during a single season of sporting contests. Some experts suggest that the most likely origin of the rabbit's foot bringing good luck is the gentle creature's association with the holiday of Easter, which for Christians celebrates the resurrection of Jesus (c. 6 B.C.E.–c. 30 C.E.).  In actuality, there is nothing to connect a rabbit with any scriptural references to the death or resurrection of Jesus. Christian tradition borrowed the symbols of a rabbit and colored eggs for children to hunt on Easter morning from an even older religious tradition in Northern Europe that portrayed the rabbit as the escort of the fertility goddess Eastre (Easter). As Christianity spread through Europe, the adaptation and incorporation of the rites and symbols of Eastre into the celebration of Jesus' resurrection transferred to the rabbit the dubious distinction of people attributing good fortune to the act of removing one of his hind legs and carry it on their person. Most of the legends around the "luck" of the rabbits foot (here in America anyway) are attributed to the belief of Rabbit being a trickster and very lucky.  There is also speculation that it's based on the rabbit's running style, where the hind feet leave the ground last and touch the ground first.  Since the legend also exists in other cultures, and is believed to be very old, it's impossible to know which is the true origin of the legend. Whatever the origin, there are certain things commonly considered essential for the foot to be lucky. 1) Only the rabbit's left hind foot will do. 2) It must be trapped or shot in a cemetery. 3) You can only harvest the foot at night. After that the requirements differ, and are often contradictory. It must be done under the full moon in some legends but under a new moon in others. The rabbit must be shot by a cross eyed man, by a silver bullet or you must cut the foot off while it's still alive, depending on which legend you pay heed too. To be lucky you must carry it in your left pocket, right pocket, left back pocket or around your neck in different legends, and must stroke it 3, or 4, times to invoke it's luck.  There are even legends where the rabbits foot is only lucky while you possess it but if you ever loose it you will suffer bad luck from that point forward. Oh and let's not forget the requirement that this must be done on the 13th, Friday the 13th or a rainy night of the 13th. It could not be any old rabbit’s foot. The rabbit had to have been killed during a full moon. Also the person who killed the rabbit had to be cross-eyed.  So many add-on requirements, so little luck. Rabbit’s foot as a good luck charm was particularly popular among gamblers. Many gamblers to this day would not dream of gambling if not a rabbit’s foot charm is safely tucked away in their pocket. In the world of theaters the rabbit’s foot was (and still is by many) considered very auspicious. Many actors and actresses would keep a rabbit’s foot in their make-up kit. Before entering the stage they would kiss it, or rub the rabbit’s foot on their hands or on their face. The rabbit’s foot would help them eliminate stage fright. It would also help them remember all their lines. There is also an old superstition that the rabbit’s foot can cure rheumatism if you keep it in your pocket at all times. Still today there is a huge market for rabbit’s foot charms. They are sold mostly on key-chains. As greater parts of our population are fighting for animal rights, less people carry a real rabbit’s foot for luck. The Origin of Night and Day https://www.mpm.edu/wirp/ICW-138.html#night One time Manabush (the Rabbit) was traveling through the forest and came to a clearing on the bank of a river. He saw the Saw Whet Owl perched on a twig, but it was almost dark and Rabbit could not see very well. He said to Saw whet, "Why do you like it dark? I don't like it to be dark, so I will make the daylight." Then the Saw whet said, "If you think you are strong enough, then do it. But let us have a contest to see who is stronger and whoever wins can have it the way that he likes." Then Rabbit and Owl called all the animals and birds together. Some wanted Rabbit to win so that it would always be light. Others liked the dark and wanted Saw Whet to win. The contest began. Rabbit began repeating "Light, Light," while Owl kept repeating "Night, Night." If one of them make a mistake and said his opponent's word, he would lose. So Rabbit kept saying "Light, Light," and Saw whet continued "Night, Night." The birds and animals cheered on their heroes. Finally Owl accidentally repeated Rabbit's word "Light" and he lost the contest. Rabbit decided that it should be light, but he also decided that night should have a chance for the benefit of the loser and all of the animals and birds he represented. This pleased everyone. (Adapted from "Some Menominee Indian Folk Tales," 1974, Manitowoc County Historical Society Monograph 23: 6-8.) http://web.archive.org/web/20080725025320/http://www.menominee.edu/Culturemain/2002Pages/MenomineeLegends.htm#Origin%20of%20Day%20And%20Night--%20The%20Legend%20of%20Rabbit%20&%20Owl  One day long ago Rabbit was walking through the forest. He saw Owl sitting on a branch of a tree. There were bits of light coming through the trees but it was hard for Rabbit to see. Rabbit asked Owl why he liked it so dark. Rabbit told Owl he didn't like the dark and he was going to make it bright like the daylight. Owl told Rabbit that if he was powerful enough to do it. Owl told Rabbit that they should have a contest to see who could make it dark or light all the time. Rabbit and Owl called together all of the birds and animals to witness. Rabbit and Owl explained to the animals what they were trying to do. Some of the animals wanted Rabbit to win but didn't know if they wanted it to be light all of the time. Some of the animals wanted Owl to win so it could stay dark all of the time. The contest began. Rabbit repeated "Light, Light" and Owl repeated "Night, Night." The trick was not to repeat the other's words. If they repeated the wrong word they would lose. Rabbit and Owl kept on saying their words. The animals were cheering them on. All of a sudden Owl said "Light" and lost the contest. Rabbit was the winner and he had his wish for daylight. He decided to let there be night as well for the benefit of all the animals. This made everyone happy. http://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/nat_amer/post/htmls/popups/be_rabbit.html Rabbit and Possum The Possum and the Rabbit gambled together to see if it should be dark all the time or light all the time. Possum kept singing a song that it should be dark, and he sang this over and over. Rabbit kept singing his song that it should be daylight. Along toward morning, Rabbit began to get a little bit tired. Possum said, "You might as well give it up, Rabbit. It's going to be night all the time." Well, they argued about this. Then Possum said to Rabbit, "Suppose you did win and daylight came to stay. Why, children would abuse you. They would chase you into a hollow log and take a stick and twist the fur off of you." Rabbit said, "I don't care. They'll have lots of fun playing with me anyway." Now, while they were arguing, Rabbit kept singing, "Daylight, daylight, daylight!" And when Possum looked around, there he saw the daylight was coming. He grabbed Rabbit's mouth to make him shut up, and split his upper lip. That's why Rabbit has a split lip. (As told by Nancy Stand to Truman Michelson, 1916; after Knoepfle 1993) News Now last week we had the Easter Bunny Episode, but with some follow up this week because of articles in the news: IN AUSTRALIA, IT'S THE EASTER BILBY . Rather than celebrate Easter with bunnies, Australians are increasingly ushering in fall (which is when Easter falls in the southern hemisphere) with the Easter Bilby. Also called rabbit-bandicoots, bilbies are Australian marsupials with long, rabbit-like ears. Things began looking grim for bilbies two centuries ago, when new predators and diseases were introduced into their habitat. Then, European rabbits—an invasive species whose population really took off when a few were released more than 150 years ago so they could be hunted—drove them out of their natural habitat, until only a few thousand of the animals remained. But in the 1980s and '90s, Australians began doing more to protect the bilby. A book called Billy The Aussie Easter Bilby popularized the concept of the Easter Bilby, and the establishment of the Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia educated Australians about the ecological harm that rabbits wreak. Today, you can find chocolate bilbies in Australia around Easter time, and some chocolate companies even donate a portion of their proceeds to organizations that save the animals. http://mentalfloss.com/article/94180/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-easter-bunny Since this episode is about a rabbit that looks like a Hare, it is suiting that we have a news article about a hare! The white-tailed jackrabbit, Lepus townsendii, is also known as the “mountain hare.” These jackrabbits turn white in winter and are often called “snowshoes,” although the white-tailed jackrabbit is actually a much larger species than the true snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus). Whitetails were historically common in mid- to upper-elevation sagebrush-grass sites and meadows. Ancestral Shoshone made extensive use of the white-tailed jackrabbits for food and fiber. The species declined due to heavy grazing and increasing shrub dominance from the 1870s through the early to mid-20th century. Today, white-tailed jackrabbits are being observed moving into areas of northern Nevada that have become dominated by native perennial grasses after wildfire. On April 21, Kent McAdoo, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, will talk about white-tailed jackrabbits as an indicator species of improving rangelands in Northern Nevada. He will be the evening speaker at the Northeastern Nevada Stewardship Group’s 18th annual dinner and meeting at the Western Folklife Center. The event will start at 6 p.m. and feature music by Southwind, dinner, auction and drawing and McAdoo’s talk. The cost is $15 per person and children younger than 12 are free. Those wanting to attend should call 753-9496. The Elko Daily Free press. http://elkodaily.com/lifestyles/mountain-hare-may-indicate-improving-rangelands/article_820d2c5e-85bc-5865-aaca-ac29038518d6.html Peter Cottontail can continue hopping down the Bunny Trail, but trying to sell him -- or even give him away -- along a Louisiana roadside could get you jail time if a bill proposed by Rep. Dodie Horton, R-Haughton, becomes law. Rep. Horton's House Bill 214 would make it illegal to "sell, offer for sale, deliver, barter, auction, give away, or transfer any domestic rabbit on the shoulder or roadside of any state, local, or interstate highway or at any festival in this state." A violation could result in a fine of not more than $100 or imprisonment for not more than 30 days or both. The bill specifies that each occurrence constitutes a separate offense, and you know how rabbits multiply. The jail term may be a stumbling block, especially given the focus of the session on reducing the prison population. http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2017/04/roadside_rabbit_retail_outlets.html Plant of the Week: Wild Poppies Word of the Week: Broom

This episode is about the Easter Bunny The Easter Bunny (also called the Easter Rabbit or Easter Hare) is a folkloric figure and symbol of Easter, depicted as a rabbit bringing Easter eggs. Originating among German Lutherans, the "Easter Hare" originally played the role of a judge, evaluating whether children were good or disobedient in behaviour at the start of the season of Eastertide.  The Easter Bunny is sometimes depicted with clothes. In legend, the creature carries colored eggs in his basket, candy, and sometimes also toys to the homes of children, and as such shows similarities to Santa Claus or the Christkind, as they both bring gifts to children on the night before their respective holidays. The custom was first mentioned in Georg Franck von Franckenau's De ovis paschalibus (About Easter Eggs) in 1682 referring to a German tradition of an Easter Hare bringing Easter eggs for the children. The hare was a popular motif in medieval church art. In ancient times, it was widely believed (as by Pliny, Plutarch, Philostratus, and Aelian) that the hare was a hermaphrodite.  The idea that a hare could reproduce without loss of virginity led to an association with the Virgin Mary, with hares sometimes occurring in illuminated manuscripts and Northern European paintings of the Virgin and Christ Child.  It may also have been associated with the Holy Trinity, as in the three hares motif.   Eggs, like rabbits and hares, are fertility symbols of antiquity. Since birds lay eggs and rabbits and hares give birth to large litters in the early spring, these became symbols of the rising fertility of the earth at the Vernal Equinox. Rabbits and hares are both prolific breeders. Female hares can conceive a second litter of offspring while still pregnant with the first.  This phenomenon is known as superfetation.  Lagomorphs mature sexually at an early age and can give birth to several litters a year (hence the saying, "to breed like rabbits" or "to breed like bunnies"). It is therefore not surprising that rabbits and hares should become fertility symbols, or that their springtime mating antics should enter into Easter folklore. The Bible makes no mention of a long-eared, short-tailed creature who delivers decorated eggs to well-behaved children on Easter Sunday; nevertheless, the Easter bunny has become a prominent symbol of Christianity’s most important holiday.  The exact origins of this mythical mammal are unclear, but rabbits, known to be prolific procreators, are an ancient symbol of fertility and new life. Eggs. In addition, Orthodox churches have a custom of abstaining from eggs during the fast of Lent.  The only way to keep them from being wasted was to boil or roast them, and begin eating them to break the fast.  As a special dish, they would probably have been decorated as part of the celebrations.  Later, German Protestants retained the custom of eating colored eggs for Easter, though they did not continue the tradition of fasting.  Eggs boiled with some flowers change their color, bringing the spring into the homes, and some over time added the custom of decorating the eggs.  Many Christians of the Eastern Orthodox Church to this day typically dye their Easter eggs red, the color of blood, in recognition of the blood of the sacrificed Christ (and, of the renewal of life in springtime). Some also use the color green, in honor of the new foliage emerging after the long-dead time of winter.  The Ukrainian art of decorating eggs for Easter, known as pysanky, dates to ancient, pre-Christian times. Similar variants of this form of artwork are seen amongst other eastern and central European cultures. Easter is a religious holiday, but some of its customs, such as Easter eggs, are likely linked to pagan traditions.  The egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring.  From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus’ emergence from the tomb and resurrection.  Decorating eggs for Easter is a tradition that dates back to at least the 13th century, according to some sources.  One explanation for this custom is that eggs were formerly a forbidden food during the Lenten season, so people would paint and decorate them to mark the end of the period of penance and fasting, then eat them on Easter as a celebration. According to some sources, the Easter bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws.” Their children made nests in which this creature could lay its colored eggs.  The idea of an egg-giving hare went to the U.S. in the 18th century.  Protestant German immigrants in the Pennsylvania Dutch area told their children about the "Osterhase" (sometimes spelled "Oschter Haws").  Hase means "hare", not rabbit, and in Northwest European folklore the "Easter Bunny" indeed is a hare.  According to the legend, only good children received gifts of colored eggs in the nests that they made in their caps and bonnets before Easter.  Eventually, the custom spread across the U.S. and the fabled rabbit’s Easter morning deliveries expanded to include chocolate and other types of candy and gifts, while decorated baskets replaced nests. Additionally, children often left out carrots for the bunny in case he got hungry from all his hopping. Easter egg hunts and egg rolling are two popular egg-related traditions. In the U.S., the White House Easter Egg Roll, a race in which children push decorated, hard-boiled eggs across the White House lawn, is an annual event held the Monday after Easter.  The first official White House egg roll occurred in 1878, when Rutherford B. Hayes was president.  The event has no religious significance, although some people have considered egg rolling symbolic of the stone blocking Jesus’ tomb being rolled away, leading to his resurrection. Association with Ēostre In his 1835 Deutsche Mythology, Jacob Grimm states "The Easter Hare is unintelligible to me, but probably the hare was the sacred animal of Ostara".  This proposed association was repeated by other authors including Charles Isaac Elton and Charles J Billson.  In 1961 Christina Hole wrote 'The hare was the sacred beast of Eastre (or Eostre), a Saxon goddess of Spring and of the dawn'.  The belief that Ēostre had a hare companion who became the Easter Bunny was popularized when it was presented as fact in the BBC documentary Shadow of the Hare (1993). The Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore however states "... there is no shred of evidence" that hares were sacred to Ēostre, noting that Bede does not associate her with any animal. Transformed bird? Sarah Ben Breathnach in Mrs Sharp's Traditions (1990) provides an origin story for the Easter Bunny: "According to legend, Eostre's favorite animal was a large handsome bird, which in a fit of anger she turned into a hare." Another version of this story, in which Ēostre transforms the bird into a hare in an act of mercy, was written by Jean-Andrew Dickmann and appeared in Cricket magazine.  Both Breathnach and Dickmann present their respective 'transformed bird' stories as if they were legend, though no earlier version of either has been attested Easter Bunny Did You Know? The largest Easter egg ever made was over 25 feet high and weighed over 8,000 pounds. It was built out of choclate and marshmallow and supported by an internal steel frame. Easter Candy Easter is the second best-selling candy holiday in America, after Halloween. Among the most popular sweet treats associated with this day are chocolate eggs, which date back to early 19th century Europe.  Eggs have long been associated with Easter as a symbol of new life and Jesus’ resurrection.  Another egg-shaped candy, the jelly bean, became associated with Easter in the 1930s (although the jelly bean’s origins reportedly date all the way back to a Biblical-era concoction called a Turkish Delight).  According to the National Confectioners Association, over 16 billion jelly beans are made in the U.S. each year for Easter, enough to fill a giant egg measuring 89 feet high and 60 feet wide.  For the past decade, the top-selling non-chocolate Easter candy has been the marshmallow Peep, a sugary, pastel-colored confection.  Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based candy manufacturer Just Born (founded by Russian immigrant Sam Born in 1923) began selling Peeps in the 1950s.  The original Peeps were handmade, marshmallow-flavored yellow chicks, but other shapes and flavors were later introduced, including chocolate mousse bunnies. Easter Parade In New York City, the Easter Parade tradition dates back to the mid-1800s, when the upper crust of society would attend Easter services at various Fifth Avenue churches then stroll outside afterward, showing off their new spring outfits and hats.  Average citizens started showing up along Fifth Avenue to check out the action.  The tradition reached its peak by the mid-20th century, and in 1948, the popular film Easter Parade was released, starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland and featuring the music of Irving Berlin.  The title song includes the lyrics: “In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it/You’ll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade.” The Easter Parade tradition lives on in Manhattan, with Fifth Avenue from 49th Street to 57th Street being shut down during the day to traffic.  Participants often sport elaborately decorated bonnets and hats. The event has no religious significance, but sources note that Easter processions have been a part of Christianity since its earliest days.  Today, other cities across America also have their own parades. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Bunny http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/easter-symbols Rabbits at Easter A smiling child in an adorable outfit clutches a cute baby bunny in her arms. What's wrong with this picture? Contrary to Eastertime hype, rabbits and small children are not a good match.  The natural exuberance, rambunctiousness and decibel-level of even the gentlest toddler are stressful for the sensitive rabbit.  It is the rare child who will enjoy and appreciate the rabbit's subtle and sensitive nature. Another misconception is that rabbits are passive and cuddly.  They are ground-loving creatures who feel frightened and insecure when held and restrained. Children like a companion they can hold, carry, and cuddle, just as they do their favorite stuffed animal.  It is unreasonable to expect a child to be able to take full responsibility for the care of a rabbit, or to make a 10-year commitment to anything!  All too often, the child loses interest, and the rabbit ends up neglected or abandoned. Some people think rabbits are a "low-maintenance" pet. In fact, they require almost as much work as a dog.  If they are going to be a house rabbit, they must be housetrained. The house must be bunny-proofed, or Thumper will chew electrical cords, rugs, books, and furniture.  They must be spayed or neutered, or they will mark your house with feces and urine.  They must live indoors, as members of the family.  Rabbits kept in hutches outdoors have an average lifespan of about 4-5 years; house rabbits can live 8 to 10 years.  Predators abound, not only in rural areas but in urban and suburban locations as well.  Outdoor rabbits become bored and depressed from isolation.  To consign these sensitive, intelligent, social animals to life in a hutch is to miss all the joy of sharing your life with a rabbit.  Unless he's part of your daily routine, you will not have the opportunity to really get to know his subtle personality. Clearly, rabbits are not for everyone! Are you a gentle adult who lives in a quiet household?  Are you eager to get to know rabbits on their own terms - to spend time down at their level, on the floor; to allow the rabbit to initiate gestures of friendship and trust?  If you think you are one of those rare individuals who would enjoy sharing life with a rabbit, please visit your local animal shelter or rabbit-rescue group.  As rabbits have increased in popularity, they are suffering the same fate as our other companion animals - abandonment.  You can also check your local veterinary clinic and "Pets" classifieds of your newspaper. It's a sad fact that no matter where you live, you are within 10 miles of a rabbit who needs a home.  The effort made to find that special bunny means you are saving a life. So if little Susie is pleading for a bunny for Easter, do a rabbit a favor, and buy her a toy rabbit that she can snuggle to her heart's content.  Let's make Easter a joyful time for our long-eared friends http://www.rabbit.org/adoption/easter.html Easter Bunny by Mary Brandolino In memory of all the bunnies we couldn't save. I remember Easter Sunday It was colorful and fun The new life that I'd begun In my new cage. I was just a little thing When they brought me from the store And they put me on the floor In my cage. They would take me out to play Love and pet me all the time Then at day's end I would climb In my cage. But as days and weeks went by I saw less of them it seemed Of their loving touch I dreamed In my cage. In the night outside their house I felt sad and so neglected Often scared and unprotected In my cage. In the dry or rainy weather Sometimes hotter sometimes colder I just sat there growing older In my cage. The cat and dog raced by me Playing with each other only While I sat there feeling lonely In my cage. Upon the fresh green grass Children skipped and laughed all day I could only watch them play From my cage. They used to take me out And let me scamper in the sun I no longer get to run In my cage. Once a cute and cuddly bunny Like a little ball of cotton Now I'm grown up and forgotten In my cage. I don't know what went wrong At the home I did inhabit I just grew to be a rabbit In my cage. But they've brought me to the pound I was once loved and enjoyed Now I wait to be destroyed In my cage. http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-7/brandolino-poem.html   Easter is a season that has popularized the purchase of rabbits as surprise "Easter bunnies" for young people Easter morning. Please remember to learn about how to care for a rabbit prior to purchase and that rabbits are a 5-10 year commitment. Impulse buys without thorough research are unfair to both the rabbit as well as the family.  The best surprise you can give on Easter morning is an ARBA membership!  Join the global leader in rabbit care, education, and excellence. Included with membership is our "ARBA Guide to Raising Better Rabbits and Cavies", a comprehensive guide to caring for every type of domestic rabbit.  In addition to the Guidebook, members receive 6 issues of the acclaimed, full color Domestic Rabbits Magazine with articles and images to help you better understand and care for your rabbits. Your $20 adult membership, or a $12 youth membership is far less than what you would pay to purchase similar publications at a retail store. The gift of ARBA membership allows families to make informed decisions and insures an enriching experience for all. You can join through our secure online store or call us. Join today! https://www.arba.net/about.htm The Grimm's Fairy-tale about the Hare and the Hedgehog. The plant of the week is: Spinach The word of the Week is: Best

What on earth does a big bunny have to do with Easter anyway?  Don't worry Pat and Eric have tons of answers, from Norse mythology to the Beasie Boys, you are about to learn a lot more a that funny bunny that hides eggs on Easter morn.

Episode 3. After a false start due to Joe's mini-stroke symptoms we pull off a descent show. We introduce ourselves and try to give you a peep-hole to our inner beings. We also perform the "Wiggly's Easter Story." Joe tries food stuff and we reminisce.

This special episode of CS posts to the sanctorum.us website on Easter Sunday, 2015. I realize many subscribers will hear it at a later time, but since each week's episode posts early Sunday morning, and this is Resurrection Sunday, a special podcast seemed appropriate. This week, we'll be taking a look at the place of the celebration of Easter in the Early Church.There's considerable controversy over the origin of the word Easter as the label that's come to be attached to the Christian commemoration of the Resurrection of Christ. It's best to see the word coming from the Germanic languages & the Teutonic goddess of Spring, Eastre. Her festival marked the vernal equinox, & with the arrival of Christianity the holiday morphed to be the anniversary of the resurrection of Christ.Today you'll occasionally hear someone connect the word Easter to the Canaanite goddess Astarte, the Babylonian Ishtar, or some such other ancient deity. While there may be some etymological connection between the Teutonic Eastre & the Mesopotamian Ishtar, it's submerged under the mists of time.But for many years before the label “Easter” was attached to the day, the Church referred to it as Pascha, a Greco-Roman word for the Hebrew word for Passover.Let's not forget that Christianity's roots lie in Judaism. The Gospel that is the heart of the Christian message is that Jesus fulfills all that the Jewish Passover points to. Just as the blood of the first Passover lambs delivered the Jews from bondage in Egypt, the blood of Christ, the Passover Lamb of God, delivers believers form bondage to sin & death. And in the first several decades of The Church, most Christians were Jews. Their Easter was really a Christian Passover, and they referred to it as such.Then, as time passed and more Gentiles became Christians, the distinctly Jewish flavors of the church's worship and calendar began to dim & alter.The ante-Nicene church, that is, the Church before the first Council of Nicea in 325 AD, observed 2 annual holidays. The first was Passover which commemorated Christ's suffering, and Pentecost which celebrated His resurrection & exaltation. Pentecost began with Resurrection Sunday & ended with Pentecost 50 days later.Even though these were reckoned as 2 different holidays, Passover & Easter, by reason of their closeness in date, were a continuous celebration, combining the great sorrow with even greater joy.The Christian Passover grew naturally out of the Jewish Passover just as the Lord's Day grew out of the Sabbath. It's the oldest and most important annual festival of the Church, and can be traced back to the 1st C. By the early 2nd C, it was being universally observed. From the beginning Jewish Christians continued to celebrate Passover, seeing the earlier holiday as prophetic of Christ. Gentile Christians, for whom the Jewish Passover had little significance, celebrated the Lord's resurrection as they did every Sunday.Between Good Friday that commemorates Jesus' death and Resurrection Morning on Sunday is “the great Sabbath.” On that day the Eastern church fasted, often tarrying awake all night in anticipation of the glorious Return of Christ. A feast was held on Sunday to commemorate Jesus' resurrection. This feast eventually became the defining part of the entire Paschal season.Over time a new tradition developed in preparation for Easter. The day was preceded by a season of penitence and fasting, culminating in “Passion” or “Holy Week.” The fasting varied in length from 1 day, to 40 hours, to 6 weeks. By the 6th C, it was fixed at 40 days and today is called Lent.The Early church fathers chart for us the debate that arose in the 2nd C over WHEN to observe Pascha. That debate grew over time to become one of the most contentious issues the Early Church wrestled with.Two traditions developed in the Church of the Roman Empire & Mediterranean world. Since we're pretty deep now into Church History, I'll be you can guess where & how the sides of this debate lined up. If you said East & West, give yourself a pat on the back. Between the 2nd & 4th Cs, East & West argued vociferously over when to celebrate Easter.While there were some simmering doctrinal debates like Arianism, the argument over when to celebrate Easter was just as, if not even more, contentious! And that likely gives us a clue to the root of the debate. Let me use an illustration.Mark & Bill both are big time Los Angeles Dodgers fans. They're on the same work team at XYZ Gadgets & Stuff. Both vie to be assistant to the team's foreman, Fred, who could care less about baseball or any other sport. Mark & Bill agree it would be fun to get anyone on their work-team who wants to, to go to a Dodger game. The 2 dozen members of the team agree, so Mark & Bill look at the calendar to pick a date.Mark says Tuesday, June 3rd is good. But Bill's busy on Tuesday nights doing ballroom dancing with his wife. In fact, he knows Mark knows he's busy on Tuesdays, so he picks Thursday, June 5th because Thursdays are Mark's night to watch his kid. While Mark & Bill have kept the competition for position between them pretty light till now, word's gone out that Fred's getting promoted and his position will be opening up. So the tension between the 2 has increased dramatically. They've been digging each other and finding little things to argue over, each trying to outdo the other. The debate over which day to go to the game takes on a life all of its own as each campaigns for supporters in the work-team. Bill & Mark stop talking TO each other but ramp up a lot of talk ABOUT each other.Soon the team is split 3 ways; Bill's supporters, Mark's supporters and those who refuse to take sides.Then, one day in the parking lot after work, Bill & Mark come to blows. The argument seems to be about whether they should go to the game on June 3rd or 5th. Both guys claim that's what the tussle's about. But they're the only ones who think that's what it's about. Everyone else knows it's really a competition to see who's going to take over the team as the new boss.Reading between the lines of the chronicles of the Early Church – that is the ante-Nicean church - brueha over when to celebrate Easter, you can't help but see a Bill & Mark / East & West tussle over “who's in charge?” Who's the big dog? Who gets to call the shots & control the levers of Church polity?As Philip Schaff says in his monumental work on The History of the Church, the paschal controversies of the ante-Nicene age are a complicated chapter in the story, and are not yet cleared up by modern scholars. Though they were more of an administrative issue than doctrinal, they threatened to split the church; both sides laying too much stress on externals. Indirectly, the debate touched the question of the relationship between Christianity & Judaism.The Eastern church stuck to the date set in Scripture for the Jewish Passover, the 14th of Nisan. This position is called ‘quartodeciman' meaning 14th. The Eastern Church commemorated both the death & resurrection of Jesus on Passover, regardless of what day of the week it was. The Western church located the general time around the 14th of Nisan, but set the nearest Friday as the day Christ died with the following Sunday as the day He rose. So while the Eastern Church locked in the same day every year – the 14th of Nisan, the Western Church made it the same day of the week every year.Thus a rather shocking spectacle followed when in the regions where East & West met, there were churches that overlapped their observance of first the death, then the resurrection of Christ. Some Christians mourned His Passion & death while others joyously celebrated His rising. It's not difficult to see why tension rose between different communities of faith. Earnest efforts were made to harmonize the opposing factions about the fundamental facts of the Gospel and of the sacred season of the church-year.The Crucial issue was whether the Jewish Passover, whether it was a Friday or not, or the Christian Easter Sunday, should control the time of the festival. The Eastern practice of adhered to historical precedent, and had the advantage of an immovable Easter, without being Judaizing in anything but the observance of a fixed day of the month. The Western custom represented independence from the Jewish calendar.Another way to look at it is that in the Eastern tradition, chief stress was laid on the Lord's death. In the Western tradition, it was on His resurrection.The solution to the dilemma came by merging the 2 into one. Easter is still connected to the Jewish Passover as to its general season, but it's fixed to a Sunday. This rule was set at the Council of Nicea in 325.So here's how the date of Easter is calculated àEaster is always be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon succeeding the vernal equinox, and always after the Jewish Passover. If the full moon occurs on a Sunday, Easter-day is the Sunday after. By this arrangement Easter may take place as early as March 22, or as late as April 25.Okay, that's the technical stuff. Now I put my pastor hat on, and honor the day for what it commemorates. Warning to those offended by overtly religious content, the rest of this episode is unapologetic Gospel proclamation.Were it not for the resurrection, the history of Planet Earth would be radically different. When Jesus died on that Roman cross, it looked to everyone that His campaign was done. He'd run His course and now it was over, done, finished! Even His closest companions had bailed on Him; all but John, who also eventually left the scene and returned to hang out with Jesus' dejected disciples.Jesus' body was removed by the execution detail and handed over to a couple of covert supporters who wrapped Him in a linen shroud, shoved in some burial ointments & herbs, and placed Him in a newly hewn tomb in a nearby garden. These two men were in a hurry because the sun was about to set, signaling the start of the Sabbath, when work such as they were doing was strictly forbidden.Watching from a distance was a little group of women who'd been wondering what would become of Jesus' body. They watched the way the two men fumbled the burial task. It was obvious they were unaware the proper routine which the women knew well as it was something they'd done many times. They followed as the two men carried the body to the tomb and watched as they set it inside, then rolled the big stone across the entrance. Just as they did, the sun set, starting the Sabbath.The women vowed they'd return at the first opportunity to do a proper job of the burial. That's why they came so early Sunday morning. And as they made their way, they wondered aloud who'd move the stone for them. Sealing the tomb had been easy because a slight decline allowed the stone to roll easily. Pushing it up an incline would be a different matter; too much for the women without help.When they arrived, they realized they'd not need help with the stone—it was already lying on the ground in front of the tomb, as if knock over by a mighty hand. They looked in to see two radiant figures sitting upright at each end of the bench where Jesus body had been. Between them was an empty linen shroud made stiff by the dried burial ointments. One of the angels, for surely that's what they were, said to the women Jesus had risen from the dead, just as He said He would. They were to go to the disciples and tell them.They did, and as the day wore on, Jesus Himself appeared to several people and groups.Those disciples, so shattered & disheartened by Jesus' death, hiding out lest the authorities expand their search and arrest them too, go from cowering in fear, to a boldness that's willing to face down both the Jewish High Court and the might of Rome.There's really no accounting for the transformation of the Disciples other than the Resurrection of Jesus. And while they literally saw and felt Him after the Resurrection, many millions since, while not having that privilege, still know the reality and power of the resurrection by virtue of the transformation that's taken place in them by faith in Christ.But please understand, not just faith – not the mental mechanics of believing just any old thing. According to the Gospel, faith doesn't save us, JESUS saves us. Faith is just how the salvation He won flows to us, that is accrues to our account. Salvation is a gift God gives. The hand that receives it is faith.Contrary to much popular thought, what the Bible means by Faith is not a “blind leap in the dark.” That may describe some people's religious faith; their spiritual posture, but it's not Biblical faith. Real faith is a reasonable response to the evidence.You see, Christianity is rooted in history. It's not merely the sage musing of some holy man. It's not just a system of ethics, a “be nice & recycle” philosophy. The Christian Faith stands or falls on historical events. There was a real man named Jesus of Nazareth who lived, died and rose again. That He rose from the dead means we have to regard Him as different from all other people and assess His words & works with the utmost consideration.I'm doing this podcast, a history podcast, because I'm absolutely convinced, utterly sure, Christianity is rooted in real historical events. I'm a Christian, not in spite of the evidence, as scoffers contend, but BECAUSE of the evidence.Let me end with this: Applying the rules for how we know if something really happened in the past, a fair observer has to come to the conclusion Jesus rose from the dead. To categorically deny the resurrection from a presupposition that the dead can't rise is to make a claim to omniscience. The skeptic becomes the very thing he denies, an all-knowing deity.Please understand I don't mean to offend by saying that. I only seek to reason with those who've categorically rejected the Gospel because of its supernatural elements. No one is so blind as he who WILL not see.To any skeptics or scoffers who've hung through this far, I want to commend you for doing so. I respect you and your opinion. I really do. I'm thankful we live in a time and place where we can openly share different views and do so in a polite way without running to name-calling & polemics. I've been challenged by skeptics at many times and from many angles. I'm thankful for these as they've served to sharpen my thoughts and focus my motives. Too often we err and do what we saw earlier in this podcast; we talk ABOUT each other rather than TO one another.Ideas tend to look a lot different when we're dealing with them via a person rather than in a book, magazine, or when framed by someone in our own tribe.May you have a blessed Resurrection Sunday.