Bankers and merchants delighted in this new ten-day service. Yet the Pony Express was destined [...]]]> In the early 1860s, mail traveling by Wells Fargo stagecoaches took 20 days for the route from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California. But a single day, April 3, 1860, halved transit time when the Pony Express made its inaugural run.

Bankers and merchants delighted in this new ten-day service. Yet the Pony Express was destined to enjoy a short–but glorious–career. For even as fearless buckaroos streaked from station to station, other stalwarts steadily busied themselves stringing strands of copper, harbingers of greater change on the horizon.

All told, the Pony Express carried 37,753 letters on 308 runs over 616,000 miles. Though historical accounts vary somewhat, a telegraph line connecting Carson City, Nevada, to St. Joseph was completed on October 20, 1861, and two days later the Pony Express pastured its ponies. With the twist of two wires, the world changed again in a single day.

Then on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah, a final spike married the tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad and Central Pacific Railroad. Now connecting east and west, the transcontinental railroad ushered the stagecoach off stage.

Just last week an oak, stable and steadfast for the last 150 years, crashed to the ground, crushing four cars. Its violent plunge to earth sent power lines whiplashing, compelling a young man to eat dirt–or face decapitation. Our son’s close brush with death reminded us: change comes quickly.

And this very afternoon, heavy machinery lumbered into the long-vacant lot next door. The growls of great yellow beasts proclaimed instant change to field mice forced to yield habitat to yet another concrete slab.

New temporarily supplants old in a never-ending succession of leapfrogging.

But the greatest change in a single day cannot be called temporary. Propelled by neither twisted wire nor driven spike nor foot upon the moon, its impetus was a single stone, moved but a few brief feet.

Easter is coming soon. If ever a single day wrought dramatic upheaval, that displaced stone and empty tomb give testimony.

The Bible makes this terse announcement: “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.” Indeed, a man had come back to life, but such had happened before. But unlike His predecessors, this Man would never retreat to the company of the dead. His resurrection blazed a trail to eternity for an innumerable host to follow–one day.

And in the pattern established by telegraph and railroad, change encompassed far more than simple facts interpreted by eyes and ears. The overriding significance of this singular event resides in hopes yet unseen. Hopes of a meaningful conclusion to life, a new body, a reunion with loved ones, a just reward for labors, a home in heaven….

And for each one who personally embraces the hope of That Day, change is instant–and forever.

Copyright 2003 James McAlister

Printer friendly version

Bulletin Insert

When they arrived at the garden, however, astonishment gripped their hearts. The stone had already been set [...]]]> A stone presented a formidable problem that first resurrection morning. Massive and threatening, it blocked the entrance to Jesus’ tomb for the women needing to anoint His body. “Who will move it for us?” they puzzled–but found no answer.

When they arrived at the garden, however, astonishment gripped their hearts. The stone had already been set aside, allowing them to enter the tomb. But the dead Jesus they expected to find was not there! Risen, an angel told them, just as He had said.

That great stone of worry, the deepest of concerns in the early morning hours, had been rolled away for their benefit, not His. And on the inside of the empty tomb they discovered not the worst of their expectations, but the best. Though Jesus had promised to rise from the dead, they hadn’t believed… until the stone was moved. Then gripped by both fear and joy, they raced to tell others.

This was not the first stone to conceal a great work of God from those who desperately needed deliverance and relief. It had happened before at the tomb of Lazarus. Because of that stone, the family couldn’t see in, nor did they want to. After four days of death, putrefaction and stench on the other side of the stone surely awaited them. Or so they thought.

But Jesus had promised, “Your brother will live again.” Still, they hadn’t believed… until He moved the stone. Then Lazarus, dead just moments before, walked out of his dark tomb into a bright new life.

The glimpse of resurrection and life eternal foreshadowed with Lazarus was secured when Jesus Himself passed from death into life; not even an immovable stone could hold Him there.

Stones persist today and gain their power in the same way as they did in the time of Jesus: our reluctance and refusal to believe what He has said. For me, ominous stones of fear, confusion, doubt, bitterness and a host of their companions have repeatedly entombed my future and outlook in darkness and blinding hopelessness.

But He still moves stones, and for every one that has gained ascendency there’s a life-giving promise begging me for belief and obedience. Am I anxious? He promises peace that passes understanding. (Phil. 4:6-7). Am I confused? He promises wisdom. (James 1:5).

The empty tomb of Jesus on that first resurrection morning paints this picture of truth: a stone is powerless in the face of promise. And on the other side of the stone we will discover not the worst of expectations, but the best. He lives, and so shall we–for time and eternity.

HE STILL MOVES STONES

Both Death and Darkness ruled the day
Around the tomb where Laz’rus lay.
Cried Jesus in authority,
“Remove the stone and set him free!”

Have stony trials progressively
Extinguished hopes of victory?
Embrace His word triumphantly:
He’ll move those stones and set you free.

Have stones of fear, confusion, doubt
Destroyed your faith and burned you out?
Then look to Him expectantly:
He’ll move those stones and set you free.

Are your dreams blocked or gone astray
By stones of hindrance in the way?
His Spirit will bring clarity:
He’ll move those stones and set you free.

(Refrain)
He still moves stones, so give Him glory!
He still moves stones to change your story!
What e’er your trial or loss or need
If there’s a stone, He wants you freed.

Copyright 2009 James McAlister

Printer Friendly Version
Bulletin Insert

The current rules that determine the date of Easter originated in A.D. 325 at the [...]]]> After its conception as a holy celebration in the second century, Easter was not always celebrated on Sunday as it is today. But when it should be celebrated has been a source of controversy and confusion that continues even until today.

The current rules that determine the date of Easter originated in A.D. 325 at the First Council of Nicaea convened by the Roman Emperor Constantine. At that time the Roman world used the Julian calendar put in place by Julius Caesar.

The Council decided to keep Easter on a Sunday, the same Sunday throughout the world. To fix incontrovertibly the date for Easter, and to make it determinable indefinitely in advance, the Council constructed special tables to compute the date. These tables, based on a set of ecclesiastical rules, were revised in the following few centuries, resulting eventually in the tables constructed by the 6th century Abbot of Scythia, Dionysius Exiguus. Nonetheless, different means of calculation still persisted throughout the Christian world.

In 1582 Gregory XIII (Pope of the Roman Catholic Church) completed a reconstruction of the Julian calendar and produced new Easter tables. By that time, however, the cumulative mismatch of the Julian calendar year against the solar year totaled 10 days. Gregory’s papal decree easily solved this problem by advancing the Julian calendar by 10 days. Thus, the calendar days October 5 – 14, 1582 simply vanished under the new Gregorian calendar.

Universal adoption of the Gregorian calendar occurred slowly. By the 1700′s, though, most of Western Europe had embraced it and determined the date of Easter accordingly.

But the usual understanding–Easter Day is the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs next after the vernal equinox–is not a precise statement of the actual ecclesiastical rules. The full moon involved is not the astronomical full moon but an ecclesiastical moon (determined from tables) that keeps, more or less, in step with the astronomical Moon. But differences do arise from time to time.

According to the rules, Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or after the day of the vernal equinox. This particular ecclesiastical full moon is the 14th day of a tabular lunation (new moon) with the vernal equinox fixed as March 21.

Consequently, Easter can never occur before March 22 or later than April 25. But the civil date of Easter depends upon which tables–Gregorian or pre-Gregorian–are used. The Western (Roman Catholic and Protestant) Christian churches use the Gregorian tables; many Eastern (Orthodox) Christian churches use the older tables based on the Julian calendar, which is now 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar.

In a congress held in 1923, the Eastern churches adopted a modified Gregorian calendar and decided to set the date of Easter according to the astronomical full moon for the meridian of Jerusalem. However, a variety of practices remain among the Eastern churches.

But Easter creates a more serious problem: what to do with a Man who was crucified–but then presented Himself alive by many convincing proofs over a period of 40 days (Acts 1:3) and was seen by more than 500 people at one time (1 Corinthians 15:6). Is He, as He claimed (John 14:6), the only way to God? And what about His assertion (John 3:3) that only those who have been born again will see the kingdom of God?

And unlike the decree that established the date of Easter, a personal decision about the Man of Easter must be exercised by each individual. What will we do with Jesus?

(Note: most of the material on the date of Easter was taken from the U.S. Naval Observatory web site.)

Copyright 2005 James McAlister

Printer friendly version

Bulletin Insert