An Easter Stay at Home idea

The COVID-19 epidemic is changing the way we do things this year. Whether you are sick or not, churches are closed, families that live apart will shelter in place, and people who celebrate together with an Easter dinner will be eating alone. We have been told to stay home. The holiday weekend that so many people celebrate will be different this year.

But does that mean you can’t celebrate Easter? By all means, no! Easter is a matter of the heart, and we can still pray, and read the events surrounding the resurrection in our Bibles. We can also watch multiple church services, and find inspiration for this season.

But is that enough? For adults the answer might be yes … but for families with children, it is not enough.

Of course families can still give Easter baskets, candy, and celebrate with a small Easter Egg hunt in the back yard, but do these things really teach the message of the Bible.

I must stop and confess at this point that Easter Egg hunts have always confused me. I have looked in my Bible, performed concordance searches, read commentaries, and have never found where the Easter bunny appears in scripture. I have looked at biology texts and even read Ripley’s Believe it or not, and have not found one case where a rabbit laid an egg that produced a chicken! Honestly, is this the message we are supposed to share at Easter?

I would like to suggest a different plan for families: act out the story. Several years ago we did a “live nativity” with parts for our church. The play was nine scenes long (Pilate’s throne room, the Upper Room, Disciples in hiding, women at the gate, the donkey farmer, soldiers at the cross, Nicodemus, Angels at the Tomb, and Jesus in the Garden). The scenes require 3 or 4 actors per scene, and tell the real story of Easter.

During a “stay at home” Easter, this would be a fantastic way to share the story as a family. It would teach children about the events in the Bible, and could start a new family tradition.

In my Jewish family, Biblical stories were told dynamically. Like, at Passover, the story is told with food, an afikomen hunt, and a visit by Elijah. This happens every year, and the story has stuck with me.

As an educator, I know children learn more when they are involved. The more senses used during a lesson, the longer it will be remembered. So … if you want your children to really remember the Easter message, dress them up, give them props and parts, and act out the scenes of the story of Easter with them.

Do you need a great resource? My book, The Case of the Missing Body” contains the story as a play. It has clear parts, and can be acted out. One copy of this book can be passed around, and the whole family can enjoy the fun this Easter. The book is only 99￠, and because it is an e-book, you can order it from Amazon.com and get it today! Click the link here: LINK. This is what the book looks like.

The Resurrection Drama for Churches and Families

This Easter, while you are home, do something different! Do something your family will remember FOREVER, put on a play and tell the real story of what happened at Easter.