Honoring Easter Sunday
By Cecil Chandler
E-mail | Biography
Good morning, everybody, and welcome back to another Cecil’s World in Print.
This Sunday is Easter. It will be a time for dressing up the kids in their new clothes for church.
When I was a young boy, my grandmother would always buy me a new outfit for church.
Growing up in the ’50s, we did not have a lot of money, so when I got a new outfit, I really wanted to show it off
Being a Baptist, I grew up sitting in the back of the church, but on Easter Sunday, I would always move up to the middle of the church so everyone could see my new outfit.
That afternoon, we would have a big Easter egg hunt at my aunt’s house.
The adults would hide 50 to 60 boiled eggs with several prize eggs.
Some of the prizes had candy in them and one would have at least $2 in it.
That was a lot of money back then, and that was the egg we all wanted to find.
When my son Jeff was growing up, we also had Easter egg hunts and bought him new clothes for church, but this time it was me and the other adults hiding the eggs.
Things have changed plenty during the past 40 years. Of course, they still have Easter egg hunts, and I am sure many parents buy their kids new clothes for church, but the real meaning of Easter has been put on the back burner for some families.
If you have forgotten the real meaning of Easter, make sure you go to church this Sunday so you can refresh your memory.
You know what it is all about, but sometimes you need a refresher course. We all know and accept that things do change over time.
Here is a poem, called “The Old Paths,†a friend of mine sent me that I wanted to share with you.
The author supposedly is a retired minister who lives in Tennessee:
I liked the old paths when moms were at home, dads were at work,
brothers joined the Army, and sisters got married — before having children!
Crime did not pay, hard work did — and folks knew the difference.
Moms cooked, dads worked, and children behaved.
Husbands were loving, wives were supportive, and children were polite.
Women wore the jewelry and men wore — the pants.
Women looked like ladies, men looked like gentlemen, and children looked — presentable.
People loved the truth, hated a lie and went to church to get in — not out!
Hymns were Godly, sermons helpful, rejoicing normal and crying sincere.
Cursing was wicked, drinking evil and divorce unthinkable.
Our flag was honored, America was beautiful and God was welcome!
We read the Bible in public, prayed in school and preached from house to house.
To be an American was worth dying for, to be a Christian worth living for and refusing to do or be either — shameful!
Sex was personal, homosexuality unheard of, and abortion illegal.
Preachers preached because they had a message and Christians rejoiced because they had victory!
Preachers preached from the Bible, singers sang from the heart, and sinners turned to the Lord!
New birth meant a new life, salvation meant a changed life and following Christ meant eternal life.
Being a preacher meant you proclaimed God’s Word and being a deacon meant you served the Lord.
Being a Christian meant you lived for Jesus and being a sinner meant — someone was praying for you!
Laws were based on the Bible, homes read the Bible and churches taught the Bible.
Preachers were more interested in new converts — than new Corvettes.
God was worshiped, Christ was exalted and the Holy Spirit respected.
Church was where you found Christians on the Lord’s Day — rather than the golf course.
I think that says it all and I think I still like the old paths the best. See you next week, right here in the Morning News and on the tube.
— Cecil Chandler is a veteran reporter at WBTW News13. His column appears Mondays in the Morning News.
