THE LORD IS RISEN!

The happiness of Easter is centered in the Lord rising from the tomb, ascending into Heaven, and being ever present with us all. As He said, "Lo, I am with you always!"

PROJECT: Make and Display an Easter Representation
Make a miniature garden scene to illustrate the Easter story in the gospel of John (chapter 20).

PROJECT: Picture Mary Magdalene Seeing the Lord
Illustrate the story of Mary Magdalene standing outside the tomb in a garden (John 20). She is weeping because she can't find the Lord. But then she turns around and sees the Lord standing nearby. Imagine her happiness when she sees the Lord. He is risen as He said!

Try using oil pastels on medium or dark construction paper to picture Mary Magdalene seeing the Lord and His shining white robes.

PROJECT: Make an Easter Diorama
Color and assemble a diorama showing Mary looking into the tomb and seeing the two angels.

ACTIVITY: Is the Easter Story Happy or Sad?
Make a story line reflecting your perspective on whether events surrounding the Lord's resurrection are happy, sad, or "neutral."

SEEKING THE LORD WHERE HE MAY BE FOUND

The Lord's followers lost hope when the Lord was crucified and laid to rest in the tomb. Yet the women went to anoint the Lord's body as soon as the Sabbath was over. Imagine their surprise when they found the tomb empty! Twice Mary Magdalene lamented that "they have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him" (John 20:2, 13). Where could He be? Then she turned around and saw the Lord standing nearby. Why did she turn around? Why did she see Him then, but not before? Partly because she was now ready to see the Lord.

Where can we find the Lord? The Rev. Lorentz R. Soneson addresses this question in a family talk titled "Where the Lord Can Be Found." We can see signs of the Lord in what is living because all life is from the Lord Himself.

ACTIVITY: Seeking the Lord
Think about ways we can seek the Lord. After reading the talk by the Rev. Soneson, reflect on signs of the Lord's presence in your life and the world around you. This could prompt an interesting family discussion.

"The Lord is present with man in good, and so in justice and fairness….The Lord may be said to be present according to the good that is present…. And the nature of this good is determined by the state of innocence, love and charity in which the truths of faith have been, or are able to be, implanted" (Arcana Coelestia 2915).

PICTURE WITH OVERLAY: Lost and Found
This is a variation on the picture of Mary Magdalene seeing the Lord. Make a picture of Mary in the garden on a piece of construction paper or cover stock. Leave a space for the Lord to appear, but draw the Lord on a piece of tracing paper or an overhead transparency. Use tape to attach the top of this overlay to the top of the background paper. Flip the picture of the Lord behind the picture of Mary Magdalene when she is searching in the wrong places for the Lord. Bring it in front of the background when she is finally able to see the Lord.

THE LORD'S PRESENCE

"The Lord is present with every person, urging and pressing him to receive Him….[A] person receives Him…when he acknowledges Him as his God, the Creator, Redeemer, and Savior."
(True Christian Religion 766)

QUOTATION: Lo, I am with you always…
Make a beautiful border for this quote from the Word.

POSTER: A Picture of the Lord to Print and Display

ASCENDING INTO HEAVEN

One of the happiest parts of the Easter story is the Lord ascending into heaven. This is a story that children in heaven love to portray.

PROJECT: Show the Lord Ascending into Heaven
Color and assemble the pattern pieces for this project,
then lift the Lord into heaven!

PROJECT: Pinprick Picture
Use a push pin (or straight pin) to prick holes in the picture, outlining
the Lord and the rays of light around Him. Then place the page in a window to see the Lord surrounded with light!

PROJECT: Picture of the Lord's Ascension
Let your little ones make their own picture of the Lord.

Materials:
Blue cover stock or construction paper for background page
Strip of blue paper (1" x 10") for "lifting" the Lord into heaven
White or yellow cover stock or construction paper for the figure representing the Lord
Oil pastels (such as Craypas)
Scissors
Glue stick or stapler

Procedure:
1. Cut a horizontal slit (1 ¼" wide) a few inches below the top center of the page. This will allow the strip of blue paper to move the Lord up and down.
2. Draw the Lord on white paper and glue or staple to the end of the blue strip.
3. Use oil pastels to make clouds on the top half of the page.
4. Optional: Tear pieces of green paper and glue them on the lower part of picture to make a hill.
5. Optional: Indicate the disciples by drawing their shoulders and backs of their heads near the bottom of the page.
6. Assemble so that the blue strip can slide, lifting the Lord into the clouds.

EASTER DISPLAYS FOR THE HOME

By making one or more of the projects described below, we can illustrate the true message of Easter. This lovely illustration by Wendy Soneson Hoo (previously published on the cover of New Church Home) shows several family projects that focus on Easter. Can you find:

A child's picture of the Lord and His disciples at the Last Supper?
A figure of the Lord riding on the foal?
A representation of the Palm Sunday procession with "palm" branches and garments?
An Easter representation with an angel sitting on the rock near the tomb?
A child's picture of Mary seeing the risen Lord?
Easter decorations made with eggs?

MORNING TIME

Morning pictures the coming and presence of the Lord. Dawn promises the coming of the Lord, and the sunrise symbolizes His actual arrival or presence (see Arcana Coelestia 2441). Morning also symbolizes these gifts from the Lord: peace, innocence, love, and joy. This is why the Lord rose on Easter morning. This is why morning time can bring a sense of hope for the new day.

The peace of heaven is compared to the dawn that breaks in the early morning and the new life in spring time. "The dawn and the spring cause everything that reaches the senses at those times to be full of joy and gladness" (Arcana Coelestia 1726).

ACTIVITY: Watch the Sunrise

Can you find a place to watch the sunrise in the east? If buildings or trees obscure your view of the eastern sky, try to find another vantage point. (A newspaper can tell you when the sun will rise and whether clear skies are forecast.) The Heavenly Doctrines tell us that the dawning of the day pictures the rise of all things from the Lord (see Arcana Coelestia 1807:2).

PROJECT: Picture the Sunrise

Watch the sunrise or look at several photographs of the sun rising. Then paint a sunrise of your own. Oil pastels or crayons may be used to make dark hills or grass and trees. Yellow or orange could be used to make the rising sun. Then use light yellow paint to show the sunlight spreading outward.

A Sunrise Poster to download and print.
Choose either a PDF file to print: SunriseWithQuote.pdf (165Kb)
Or a JPEG file to use as a background: Sunrisewithquote.jpg (169Kb)
Photograph courtesy of George Graham.

Night and Day
Look at ways to distinguish between night and day in our lives.

Listen to "Morning Moods" from Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite
How does this music make you feel?

Catching the Light-A Photography Experiment
Explore the effects of lighting at different times of day.

MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE UNTO THE LORD!

Joy is defined as delight, happiness, great gladness, and expression of these feelings. There are many ways to express joy. Here are just a few:

Sing: "Joy Comes in the Morning" by John and Lori Odhner or another joyful song

Listen to:
Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"
Beethoven's "Ode to Joy"
"Morning has Broken"

Dance with Joy
Play some cheerful, "morning" music and let your children dance for joy! (You might even want to dance with them.)

SPRING IS NATURE'S RESURRECTION

In the northern hemisphere, Easter coincides with springtime, which is nature's time of resurrection. The bare trees, brown grass, and drooping plants of winter can appear lifeless. But what seems dead is actually only dormant for a time. With the warmth and light of springtime, the beauty of nature is renewed. Trees blossom and grass grows green. Flowers give promises of fruits and seeds to come. It is as if nature is rejoicing, echoing the joy of the Lord's resurrection.

For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
(Isaiah 55:12)

Easter Flowers
Some congregations have a tradition of bringing flowers to church as an offering to the Lord on Easter morning. This is a way to celebrate the Lord's resurrection and recognize that all life is from Him. We may also decorate our homes with Easter lilies, hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips. As we enjoy the beauty and sweet scent of these flowers, keep in mind that everything of beauty and delight-in the sky or on earth-represents the Lord's heavenly kingdom in some way (Arcana Coelestia 807:2).

Forcing Flowering Branches
To sample the beauty of spring a few weeks early, cut small branches of flowering shrubs and bring them indoors. Forsythia, dogwood, magnolia, viburnum, flowering cherry, plum, apple, almond, redbud, azalea, rhododendron, and many other flowering shrubs can yield early blossoms indoors.

Procedure:
1. Gather branches one to two months before they would bloom outdoors.
2. It is best to cut the branches on a mild day. It is also good to cut them at the warmest part of the day, when the buds are filled with sap (see www.canadiangardening.com/HTML/cg_feb2kb.html) .
3. Select small branches that have plump buds, carefully maintaining the shape of the tree or shrub as you harvest branches about 2-3 feet long.
4. Put the branches in a bucket of warm water and keep in a cool place (out of direct sunlight) until the buds are ready to open. Change the water every other day.
5. Periodically make fresh cuts at the bottom of the branches to facilitate water intake.
6. When the buds start to swell and show color, bring the branches into a warmer room and get ready to enjoy the blossoms!
7. The blossoms should last about a week.