It's the most significant week in the entire Christian calendar, and is noted for bringing lapsed Christians back into the Christian faith and reinvigorating the spiritual lives of those who attend church regularly.
Like Christmas, Easter has a profound impact on people's spirituality whether they consider themselves believers or not. The two holy periods commemorate two of the greatest stories in the Bible, and they both convey the fundamental messages of Christianity. Chocolate eggs, hot cross buns and roast lamb included, Easter's uplifting qualities are tangible – the recognition that God loves you so much that he gave his only Son, the grace received as a result and Jesus' resurrection.
For these very reasons, many churches, mine included, see an influx of Christians for whom attending church isn't part of their ordinary routine and who wouldn't describe themselves as religious. For some of them, they won't reappear in church to observe any Christian festival until Christmas. This can be down to the reality that it's easy to get wrapped up in the buzz of Easter and to lose that feeling almost immediately afterwards.
And that can affect us too. The season may bouy us for a while so how can we make sure the power of Easter has a lasting impact on our faith?
Invite someone to church
The Easter message is one that is at the centre of Christianity. Although there's no perfect time to invite someone to your church (those of us who are holding on to the excuse that we're waiting for the ideal opportunity can let that go), Easter is as good a time as any. News of Jesus' sacrifice is something to share, not keep secret. If you're contemplating inviting someone to your church or if you've never done it, an invitation to any service throughout Holy Week is a wonderful way to reach out.
Pray that your faith can go from strength to strength
Our faith can feel at its strongest around this time of year as we're actively working to deepen it through fasting, prayer and alms-giving but once the excitement and routine of Easter is over, we can easily slip back into our old ways. Praying throughout Holy Week that your faith can grow will help you to put prayer back into your schedule and enable you to remain focused on developing spiritually.
Get to know Jesus again
The story of Jesus' death and resurrection helps us build up a picture of who he is but that image is incomplete if we aren't familiar with him and how he got to the point where he gave up his life for all of us. Choosing a Gospel to begin reading and meditating on before Easter is one way to remind and re-educate yourself.
Make a pledge
Picking a manageable amount of faith-inspired goals to commit to and pray for help in achieving can be a useful way to continue to build on your faith throughout Holy Week. The key here is not to go overboard and to remember that you're not doing it alone. You don't want to be discouraged if you're not able to meet them, but you shouldn't shy away from challenging goals just because they require a bit of work.
