Today’s blog post is short and sweet.

What does Easter mean to you? Is it about celebrating with family? An Easter-egg hunt? Pomp and circumstance at church? If we didn’t celebrate Easter, would you miss it?

For me, Easter signifies a fresh start. An awakening. A realization of God’s love that brings a sense of lightness — joy. I love expressing that joy through the singing of the traditional Easter hymns with a full congregation.

Easter is less about celebrating with family these days. Part of that may come from the fact that my family gets together frequently, so the Easter gathering is a bit diluted in its specialness. But as I get older and delve deeper into my faith, it’s also become more personal — a reflective time.

It’s also become more about others than it previously had been. I’m more aware of the people who attend church only twice a year or don’t attend at all. I pray those who don’t attend would feel compelled to go — that God would break their complacency and move them to go to church. During the worship service, I pray for them to come back regularly and to know God more fully. I pray they would “get it.”

What makes Easter meaningful to you? Please share your thoughts.