Upstanding Sunday

 I often drive past the large Dutch Reformed Church (the Moderkerk) in Wellington, frequently having to wait for the traffic lights to change. While I sit there I like to work out the Afrikaans on their notice board. They're very good at putting details about services and preachers on display early in the week. At the moment I'm really taken by the word for Easter Sunday - Opstandung Sondag - Resurrection Sunday. It tells you more about what we're celebrating than the word "easter" with all its pagan connotations - the resurrection of Jesus after his amazing sacrifice of life for our sake.

Opstandung also sounds so much like Upstanding. I like that too. Jesus stood up from death and left it behind, defeated. As his followers we need to stand up and be counted for him in life, words and rejoicing that we've been freed from the need to fear death ourselves.

It's simple but it's wonderful.

Wellington Moderkerk