Eggs, Bunnies--and a Sacred Tradition

If Easter seems a little late this year, blame it on the moon.

“Easter is on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox,” said Joseph Everson, Cal Lutheran religion department chairman. The vernal equinox is the first day of spring.

Easter is never before March 22 or after April 25, he noted.

“Easter this year is about as late as it could ever be,” Everson said.

Last year it was on April 4 and next year it will be on April 15. In 2008, Easter will be early--on March 23.

The ever-changing date is because the holiday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who was crucified after he arrived in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. Thus, Easter is determined by the same ancient lunar calendar used to decide when the Jewish holiday is celebrated.

The Easter bunny is somewhat of an intruder in the sacred celebration of a very important Christian holiday, although eggs are part of the day.

At First Presbyterian Church of Oxnard, the congregation will have breakfast on the patio Easter morning, followed by an egg hunt for the children.

Pastor James K. Bain Jr. will talk about the symbolism of an egg representing new life emerging from the tomb, and use the different colors of the eggs to teach children about the story of Jesus being crucified, being buried and rising again, he said.

“Yellow represents the dawn of Easter morning and red represents the sacrifice of blood,” he said.

He will not speak on the commercial aspect of Easter.

“Our major emphasis will be on teaching that Christ has risen,” Bain said. “We don’t emphasize the Easter bunny.”

At Ojai Valley Community Church in Ojai, about 300 people are expected to get up before dawn for a sunrise service at Lake Casitas.

“It is cold and early, but it is a beautiful tradition,” Pastor Paul Bergmann said.

He recalled his family packing a thermos of hot chocolate and going to watch the sun rise on Easter Sunday when he was a boy, and how it made a lasting impression on him.

“For me, the Christian tradition of a sunrise service represents the rebirth of who we are and reminds us of Jesus, who died for us, was buried and was resurrected--triumphant over death,” Bergmann said.

For Catholics, Easter Sunday is the culmination of Holy Week, during which church members recall and ponder Christ’s ordeal, said the Rev. Larry Neumeier, associate pastor of St. Paschal Baylon Catholic Church in Thousand Oaks.

“The whole week is separate and special as we meditate on the Lord’s passion,” Neumeier said.

On Holy Thursday, the anniversary of the Lord’s supper was celebrated as the day Christ taught his disciples about the importance of partaking of the sacrament in remembrance of him. Then came Good Friday, the anniversary of the day Christ was crucified and died. Today is Holy Saturday, when new members who have prepared for two years to become Catholics will be welcomed into the church.

Finally, “Easter morning is when we celebrate the Lord’s resurrection from the dead and is the high point of the liturgical year,” Neumeier said.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have no formal church services on Good Friday, and their church’s architecture eschews the cross symbolizing Christ’s death in favor of spires pointing heavenward to the place where God lives today, said Bishop Scott Barrick of the Thousand Oaks First Ward.

Mormons celebrate Easter Sunday with services that include partaking of the sacrament along with music and scripture readings focusing on the reality of Christ’s physical resurrection from the tomb. They also place emphasis on his life and the infinite atonement that took place in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Christ took upon himself the sins of all mankind, Barrick said.

Easter services around the county include:

* Community Presbyterian Church of Ventura will have several services on Easter beginning with a sunrise service at 6:30 a.m.

There will also be a contemporary Easter service at 8:45 a.m. and a traditional Easter service at 10:30 a.m.

The church is at 1555 Poli St. For more information, call 648-2737.

* First Presbyterian Church of Oxnard will begin Easter celebrations with a continental breakfast at 9:30 a.m. and an Easter egg hunt for children at 9:45 a.m.

Pastor Bain will deliver the sermon “Easter Doesn’t End,” based on Mark 16:1-8, during the worship service at 10 a.m.

Child care is available at all services.

The church is at 850 Ivywood Drive. For more information, call 983-0204.

* St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Oxnard will have a special Easter Vigil Service at 7:30 p.m. today.

Evening Mass is at 5:15 today. Confession times are from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Sunday Mass times are 7:30, 9 and 10:30 a.m. in English and 12 and 1:30 p.m. in Spanish.

The church is at 2511 South C St. For more information, call 486-7301.

* The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Thousand Oaks First Ward’s Easter celebration will be an Easter cantata at 11 a.m. Sunday performed by members of the ward choir with a scriptural narration. This is in keeping with the tradition of “Music and the Spoken Word” that has emanated from church headquarters in Salt Lake City for more than 70 years.

The church is at 1600 Erbes Road.

* A week of activities at All Saints Episcopal Church begins at a Bread of Life dinner in the Parish Hall at 5:30 p.m. today, followed by Easter Vigil baptisms in the sanctuary at 7 p.m.

Easter Sunday services include a Festival Eucharist Easter service at 8 a.m., a Spanish Easter Mass at 9:30 a.m. and a Festival Eucharist Easter service at 11 a.m.

There will be Easter egg hunts at 10:30 a.m. and noon on the church lawn. Cake and punch will be served after the noon egg hunt.

A Holy Eucharist and healing service will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel.

The church is at 144 South C St. in Oxnard.

* The celebration of Easter at the San Buenaventura Mission begins with a bilingual Easter Vigil Liturgy at 7:30 p.m. today. Confessions are at 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Easter Sunday services will be at 7:30, 9 and 10:30 a.m. in English; at noon in Spanish; and at 1:30 p.m. in Latin. Morning and noon Masses will be accompanied by hymns.

The mission is at 211 E. Main St.

* Youth at Ventura First United Methodist and College Methodist churches will provide an Easter message at Marina Park in Ventura at 7 p.m. on Easter Sunday. All are welcome and encouraged to bring blankets or beach chairs. Hot drinks and muffins will be provided.

For more information call 643-8621.

* Calvary Chapel of Santa Barbara will present Easter 2000 in the Sunken Gardens at the county courthouse.

The celebration begins at 9:30 a.m. with music by Calvary’s Praise Band and gospel singer Kecia Lewis. There will also be a message from Pastor Ricky Ryan and a children’s program.

The public is invited and there is no charge. For more information, call 730-1400.

* Unity Center Church of Thousand Oaks will have Easter services with the Rev. Irma Oestmann speaking on “The Easter Spirit” at 8 and 10 a.m. Sunday. Pianist Aaron Meyer will provide music.

The church meets at Old Meadows Park Community Room, 1600 Marview Road. For more information, call 517-1210.

* Ojai Valley Community Church of Ojai will have a sunrise service at 6:15 a.m. Easter Sunday at Lake Casitas, 11311 Santa Ana Road.

The morning message will be from Pastor Bergmann with music from the Worship Band and Worship Team.

Drive to the front gate of Lake Casitas to be directed to the service. Entrance to the lake is free and the public is invited. Participants are encouraged to dress in warm clothes and bring chairs and blankets.

For more information, call 646-4324.

* St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Oxnard will celebrate Easter with two services. In the first, the congregation is asked to gather on the patio outside the sanctuary at 6 a.m. The second Easter service will be at 10 a.m. in the sanctuary. Pastor Alan P. Gorsline’s sermon will be “God Still Has a Move.”

The Boy Scouts will provide a pancake breakfast from 7 to 9:30 a.m. for $5 per person. There will be a children’s Easter egg hunt after the second service.

The church is at 1800 South C St. For more information, call 487-2711.

* Twenty-eight adults and children will receive the Sacrament of Initiation during the Easter Vigil Mass at 7:30 p.m. today at St. Paschal Baylon Catholic Church in Thousand Oaks.

Msgr. Joseph S. George will preside over the Mass. Upon receiving the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist, the neophytes and candidates will be fully incorporated in the Catholic community.

Other Masses celebrating Easter will be held at 7:30, 9 and 10:45 a.m., with additional Masses in the parish hall at 9:15 and 11 a.m. A Spanish mass will be held at 12:15 p.m.

The church is at 155 E. Janss Road. For more information, call 496-0222.

* At the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura, the Rev. Dick Weston-Jones will present the sermon “Easter: Recovering from Death of Those We Have Loved” at 8:15 and 11 a.m. Sunday.

Child care is available at both services and religious education for children is available during the early service.

The church is at 4949 Foothill Road. For more information, call 644-3898.

* A sunrise service will begin at 6 a.m. Sunday at Pierce Bros. Valley Oaks Memorial Park and will include pastors from throughout the Conejo Valley. The service will feature music, scripture readings and an Easter message by the Rev. Jim Oines of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.

There will be coffee and doughnuts after the service. The memorial park is at 5600 Lindero Canyon Road in Westlake Village. For more information, call 495-0837.