The Miracle of Easter

I've been diligently practicing the hymns for Easter Sunday. The organ in our YSA Ward isn't like the one I've been playing for 15  years in our old ward - minus the time we were in Armenia - so I'm having quite a time adjusting to not being able to control the dynamics with the foot pedal and not being able to determine which stops I want to use.

Since the Easter hymns are difficult for my arthritic fingers, I've been playing them over and over to get them perfect so when I sit down at the organ, the frustration of not being able to do what I want won't overflow into my accuracy at the keys. I don't want to set the congregations nerves on edge with glaring mistakes, especially on this special Sabbath.

While I'm playing, I sing the words - glorious words! Beautiful promises! Eternal blessings! Our sacrament hymn will be "God Loved Us So He Sent His Son." I know as you read those words your mind will fill in the rest. I'll have to remind our YSA chorister that we must sing all the verses - they are beautiful and may times forgotten as they are the bottom of the page.

I love the exclamation of He Is Risen! Yes, He is! And because of that, so can we all rise again! "Tell it out with joyful voice! He hath opened heaven's gate. We are free from sin's dark prison"....what glorious statements and promises!

"Christ the Lord is Risen Today" - sung with exultation - is a triumphant declaration we want the world to know! I love the Alleluia's - but my feet don't go quite fast enough anymore to get in all those pedals. Hopefully no one will notice as they sing these praises -"Love's redeeming work is done! Lives again our glorious King! Where O Death is now thy sting?"

I would not have thought to choose "Rejoice, the Lord is King!" but it is a perfect Easter hymn. Easter, and the miracle we celebrate, is a time of rejoicing! I love the hymns. I love the music and the messages. I love the gospel. I love my Savior!