By Pastor Bob DeKlavon
For several years. at our church in Fort Myers—we did a Christmas Eve service.
We had a young church with lots of children, so we tried to make it a very friendly family service.
I would use props of one sort or another and I would try to include the children where possible.
One year, I focused on the word “anticipation.”
If you know your music, then you will recall the song by that name done by Carly Simon.
Going one step further, some will remember the ketchup commercial that used the song.
People would wait in ‘anticipation’ for the ketchup to pour while the song was played.
So it was that that Christmas Eve—I got 12 children to volunteer and come and hold letters.
If you have ever done something like this, you know there can a bit of confusion and maneuvering.
We finally got: anticipation.
Putting both groups together, we got the word and then we talked about what it meant.
The word “anticipation” comes from the following:
Meaning "action of looking forward to.”
That is the meaning that strikes us about Christmas Eve as we look forward to Christmas Day.
But I often think about that in relation to the Saturday between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.
We look forward to Sunday because we know the end of the story {or, should I say the beginning}.
We make plans to celebrate Resurrection morning with our best clothes and loudest voices.
Churches tend to be fuller on this day as people come to gather with family and friends.
Many get candy and baskets as we celebrate the gladness of that day together.
There is a certain joy when the leader at church says: “He is Risen.”
And, as one voice—the congregation responds with: “He is Risen Indeed.”
This year, though, unlike any other—much of this will change.
The church building will be empty.
There will not be a congregational call to the response about the resurrection.
People will be reticent to get together especially if there are older relatives involved.
The joy and celebration of Resurrection Sunday just will not be the same.
And so, I am writing today thinking that, in many ways, this is what it was like 2000 years ago.
The disciples had questions and wonder and fear and anxiety and…anticipation.
They had to have anticipation as they looked forward to what was going to occur next.
They simply did not know but they had to wonder.
This Resurrection Sunday IS unlike any other.
Right now, we have anticipation as to when THAT DAY will come that we can gather again.
But we don’t wonder like those who don’t know Jesus.
Because, the promise given in Philippians 1:6 still holds true as Paul writes:
“I am confident of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
We know that Friday came and Sunday was coming.
We know that right now things are not how we would want them to be.
But I pray that ‘this day’ we will live in anticipation of the work of Jesus done through us until…
‘that day’ when we are with Him.