Faith 'n Fiction Saturday: Not So Fiction Easter Edition

Welcome to Faith 'n Fiction Saturday. If this is your first time participating, please read this post. It will tell you everything you need to know!

This week is more about faith and less about fiction. Since Resurrection Sunday, aka Easter, is one of the most important celebrations of our faith, I thought it would be fun to share with each other one or more of the following:
1) How do you celebrate Easter?
2) Do you have a special Easter memory?
3) Do you have a favorite verse or song for this time of year?

My answer:

Most Easter's have involved a church service. But that is pretty typical--I go every Sunday except when I'm an ill person. (I wish you could make it a law that you can't go to church if you're sick and contagious! Because in my experience people are rarely courteous. It's hug, hug, hug. Then with "joys and concerns" they mention how sick they are.) But that's a side tangent, isn't it?

Some years I "prepare" better than others. I might plan in advance to watch a movie like The Gospel of John or Hero! or Veggie Tale's An Easter Carol. But this year, there was none of that. So it may not happen at all.

As far as Easter memories go, I have had a few really really fun Easter weekends back in the day. For about seven years or eight years, I'd (along with most of my family minus dear old mom who was happy to sit these out) go to a series of Christian concerts on Easter weekend. Friday & Saturday night. Six Flags. We saw groups like Third Day, Audio Adrenaline, Newsboys, Jars of Clay, Michael W. Smith, Carman, Steven Curtis Chapman, dc Talk, Caedmon's call, etc. It gets confusing because Six Flags would have two Christian weekends a year--one for Good Friday/Saturday and one in mid-July. So I might be crossing which groups went where. And some groups I saw multiple times. Like I saw Audio Adrenaline at least four times through the years. At least. But back to task, the concert that may be most memorable was my very, very first concert: Michael W. Smith. This was back in 1990, I believe. Good Friday. I was in sixth grade (not that that is relevant, but still). And I remember him singing "Secret Ambition." Which you may or may not be familiar with. But that is his song about Jesus.

Young man up on the hillside
Teaching new ways
Each word winning them over
Each heart a kindled flame
Old men watch from the outside
Guarding their prey
Threatened by the voice of the paragon
Leading their lambs away
Leading them far away

Chorus:
Nobody knew His secret ambition
Nobody knew His claim to fame
He broke the old rules steeped in tradition
He tore the Holy Veil away
Questioning those in powerful position
Running to those who called His name
(But) Nobody knew His secret ambition
Was to give His life away

His rage shaking the temple
His word to the wise
His hand healing on the seventh day
His love wearing no disguise
Some say Death to the radical
He's way out of line
Some say Praise be the miracle
God sends a blessed sign
A blessed sign for troubled times

Chorus:
Nobody knew His secret ambition
Nobody knew His claim to fame
He broke the old rules steeped in tradition
He tore the Holy Veil away
Questioning those in powerful position
Running to those who called His name
(But) Nobody knew His secret ambition
Was to give His life away
no, no
no, no
I tell you nobody knew,
until he gave his life away

So for me I can't hear Secret Ambition without the added soundtrack of rollercoasters (the concert arena is close to one of the rides) and the screams of happy riders. It's a good thing.


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible