Easter Memories
A blog by Roberta Egli
Throughout my childhood and into early adulthood, each Easter morning our family participated in the church’s sunrise service on top of a hill close to our home. My father, along with some others from the church, had placed three empty crosses at the top of the hill earlier in the week. My dad woke me up when it was still dark. I remember the climb up the hill as cold, damp, and a muddy mess! We were joined by parents, grandparents, youth and children in the hike that was surprisingly quiet. No one told us to be silent, but I remember that it was. We all gathered at the top remaining in silence as we all watched the sky lighten and the sun rise.
After the sun rose, someone shouted, “Christ is Risen!” …and we all responded, “Christ is Risen, indeed!” Then we broke out in song followed by a reading of the Gospel proclamation of resurrection. After the short service, the trek down the hill was loud and boisterous! Children raced down the hill to the farm buildings where we were served donuts and hot chocolate. Although the church of my childhood closed many years ago, I have heard that there is a small group from the community that continues to climb up Buttercup Hill each Easter morning.
Easter is a time of joy, wonder, and usually a bit of mess—especially if you’ve ever experienced it through the eyes of Messy Church. What are your favorite memories from your Messy Easter worship?
Memories…Messy Style
Our first Messy Easter, several months after we had started Messy Church, was extremely chaotic. Our usual Messy Church crowd was around 40-50 people. We had advertised a Messy Church Eggstravaganza that included a light brunch, activities and Easter Egg Hunt. Our publicity worked and we were quickly overwhelmed by a overfilled fellowship hall. We ran out of food and activity supplies quite quickly.
For our Messy Celebration, after our activities but prior to the Easter Egg Hunt, we had gathered enough flowers so that everyone was able to receive a flower as they entered the sanctuary. The scripture story of Easter hope was shared and then everyone was invited to bring their flower to the front to place on the bare chicken wire covered wooden cross. The cross was transformed before our eyes. I imagine that many of the children remembered the eggs filled with candy, but I remember the smiles on their faces as they turned an empty cross into a flower-filled cross of hope.
Messy Resurrection Eggs
Our Messy Church USA, Easter Surprise! session, includes a script to tell the Holy Week story through 12 hidden eggs. Inside each numbered egg is an item such as a nail, piece of purple cloth, strip of linen, etc. that is included in the re-telling of the Easter story of death and new life. Families have described the experience as a sacred scavenger hunt. One Messy Church leader, who used this session, shared a parent’s reflection that their child had understood the Easter story for the first time. Not just heard it but felt it.
Messy Soil and Seeds
An Messy Easter memory by another leader involved a trek into their church garden. After a morning of crafts and storytelling, all were invited outside to plant flower seeds into the pots they had decorated earlier. Weeks later, one child proudly showed the Messy Church leader the little sprout that had grown at home, saying, “It’s like Easter is still happening.” Yes, exactly.
Celebrate a God who meets us in the Mess!
Of course, your Messy Easter may be filled with sticky fingers, spilled juice, and sugar rushes from Easter treats. But even that’s part of the beauty. In Messy Church, we celebrate a God who meets us in the mess—who doesn’t ask us to be perfect, quiet, or polished. Easter is the perfect reminder of that. It’s the story of life springing out of brokenness, of light shining in the dark, of joy bursting out of sorrow.
Messy Church Easter memories remind us that the resurrection isn’t a one-time event to remember—it’s a story we live, again and again, through laughter, art, food, community, and yes, a whole lot of mess.
May your Messy Easter bring memories that give your Messy folk hope and joy that lasts throughout the year. Happy Easter!
Share your favorite Messy Easter memories with us!
You can share on our Messy Church USA Facebook page or send an email at Roberta@messychurchusa.org.