Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Only Once a Year?" Monday, 21 April 2014 - Read Mark 16:1-8

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Only Once a Year?" Monday, 21 April 2014 - Read Mark 16:1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 They were saying among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” 4 for it was very big. Looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back.
5 Entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were amazed. 6 He said to them, “Don’t be amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him! 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He goes before you into Galilee. There you will see him, as he said to you.’”
8 They went out,[a] and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had come on them. They said nothing to anyone; for they were afraid.
Footnotes:
a. Mark 16:8 TR adds “quickly”
The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”--Luke 24:5 (NRSV)
On a Sunday morning, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than in worship. But for many people church is not their first choice, unless it’s Easter or Christmas Eve. Last Easter I chatted with some visitors after church. “Loved it!” one 30-something man said. “If church were like this every week I’d probably come.” Two of our young families turned around and joined the conversation. “It is like this every week,” they said. “This place is alive all the time; that’s the whole point of Easter!” I left the visiting family deep in conversation with our vibrant, “living” church members. But I didn’t forget what they said. Jesus’ followers should be alive all the time; that’s the whole point of Easter.
The Author: Derek Maul (Florida, USA)
Thought for the Day: How can I help my church be a living spiritual community?
Prayer: Dear God, help us to remember that Easter is an invitation to vibrant life. May that life animate each of us, every day. We pray as Jesus taught us, saying, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”* Amen. *Luke 11:2-4 (KJV).
Prayer focus: Revival within the body of Christ
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