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A Look at Easter
By Mike Riley
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On Sunday, April 20th, millions of people around the world will celebrate Christ’s resurrection from the dead, by observing the holiday called “Easter.”
The word “Easter” comes from “Eastre,” the Anglo-Saxon name of “Ostara,” the pagan Teutonic goddess of Spring and fertility (see this article too). As the rabbit was sacred to this goddess, it appears there was a custom among ancient Egyptians and Romans to give eggs as presents at this time of the year. This practice was carried out to ensure that the recipient would have a fertile and productive year.
Many of the customs associated with Easter illustrate this and other pagan connections. The yearly observance soon included Palm Sunday, Ash Wednesday, and Lent. Assimilation of this pagan practice into “Christian” observances became quite common. The egg was simply borrowed as a symbol of the Christian holiday. Some were dyed red to represent Christ’s shed blood.
The word “Easter,” is found only once in the King James Bible in Acts 12:4 KJV, and is a mistranslation. The Greek word translated Easter is “pascha,” and is correctly rendered “passover” in later translations (cf. Acts 12:4 ESV; Acts 12:4; Acts 12:4 NASB). It is obvious that the King James translators used this term in a passage where the context clearly shows that a Christian holiday is not being discussed at all, but the killing of James, the brother of John by Herod (Acts 12:1-2).
The practice of a yearly observance of Easter began early in the form of a so-called “Christian” Passover. Many Jews continued to keep their Jewish customs and religious holidays after their conversion to Christ. Even Paul was not averse to observing Jewish customs when expedient (Acts 18:18-21), but his teaching indicates they were to be kept on an individual basis (Romans 14:5-6) and should not be bound on others (Gal. 2:3-5).
Paul condemns observing certain days set aside by man in a religious sense (Gal. 4:8-11), and yet, shortly after the death of the apostles, some of the Jewish festivals began to be observed as Christian festivals. Easter was officially recognized by a church sliding into apostasy in A.D. 325 at the Council of Nicea.
The Bible is silent regarding any “yearly” observance of Christ’s resurrection, and thus “Easter” is based upon human tradition — not God’s Word (Mark 7:1-13). Traditions of men are wrong when (1) they become matters of doctrine (Mark 7:6-8); (2) when a practice is bound upon all (Matthew 23:3-4), or (3) when they displace the commands of God by the keeping of the tradition (Mark 7:9-13).
Our Lord instituted His Supper as the proper memorial to commemorate His death (Matthew 26:26-29; Luke 22:14-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-36. Both biblical and historical evidence indicate that this was a weekly observance (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2) — not a yearly one.
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Elders
Leon Cort
Mark Craigwell
Raleigh Gallington
Carlfred Malcolm
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Minister
Mark Craigwell
Assistant Minister
Denver Simmons
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Deacons
Anthony Johnson
Gregory Johnson
Albert Martin, Jr.
Walter Maxwell
Richard Meuse
Barry Person
Jason Reid
In Memoriam
Gone, but never forgotten, our beloved brother,
James W. Wade, Sr.
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Sermon for Sunday, April 20, 2025
Title: Living in the Power of the Resurrection
Text: Romans 1 Corinthians 15:12-17
Speaker: Bro. Mark A. Craigwell
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Shamar Morris was baptized into Christ on Sunday, April 13, 2025, at the Northeastern Youth Conference in Newark, New Jersey. Shamar is the son of Sis. Shamara Morris. Let us welcome our new brother in Christ!
| | CONGRATULATIONS TO SIS. WHITNEY DEMETRIUS! | | CONGRATULATIONS TO SIS. LAURICIA SIMMONS! | | Congratulations to Sis. Recie Simmons on her graduation from boot camp. She will be stationed in San Antonio, Texas for the next phase of her training. | | |
This event is free, but you must sign up to attend. To sign up, scan the QR code above or click here.
Click anywhere in the announcement above to view or download a full-sized flier.
Featured Speakers: Glenroy Bristol, Juanita Tabb, Sonya Williams
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UPDATED TRANSPORTATION PROCEDURES
Effective immediately, members who wish to request van transportation for Sunday morning services must sign up at least 24 hours prior to requested pick up time via a link that will be provided each week. If you are unable to sign up using the link to the sign-up form, please contact Bro. or Sis. Reid to sign up.
Link for Sunday, April 27, 2025
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Don't Miss Out! Please scroll through the entire e-bulletin each week to be certain not to miss any important announcements or links. Many items are repeated each week, but there are also new announcements that you'll miss if you don't scroll through the entire bulletin.
Current and Upcoming Events
Comic Camp: Roxbury: April 22-25 at the Roxbury Branch of Boston Public Library. See Upcoming Events for details.
The CALM Experience: Creative Activities for Learning Mindfulness, April 22-25 at the Roxbury Branch of Boston Public Library for ages 9-12. See Upcoming Events for details.
New England Bible Institute Church Leadership Conference: April 25-26, in Farmington, CT.
Warwick CoC Youth Rally: Saturday, April 26th. Featured speaker, Bro. Phillip Morrison, Jr. See Youth & Family Ministry section for details.
Shades of Wellness Mental Health Seminar: Saturday, May 10th, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the YMCA in Stoughton. Free to attend but you must pre-register. Details in News & Notes section above.
Graduation Celebration for Bro. Phillip Morrison, Saturday, June 14th. Details to come.
Warwick CoC Ladies' Day: Saturday, June 21st. Featured speaker, Sis. Shirley Lawson of the Warwick congregation. Details to come.
Ministry Meetings and Events
The Singles’ Ministry meets the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the church building.
The Couples’ Ministry has resumed meeting the 2nd and 3rd Friday of the month via Zoom. See Couples' Ministry section below for connection information.
Young Adult Ministry Bi-Weekly Devotional: Every other Monday at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. See Young Adult Ministry section below for connection information.
Tech Day: 3rd Saturday of the month, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the church building. Bring your cell phones, tablets, and laptops for help with your tech issues. See Bro. Javier Jackson, Jr., or Bro. Jerard Samuel for details. Sign-up sheets will be posted monthly.
Community Outreach: Our next monthly community outreach grocery distribution will take place on Saturday, April 26th at 9:30 a.m. at the church building. All are welcome to participate.
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The congregation is requesting member support of its Mission Fund as we provide an educational stipend to Bro. Phillip Morrison while he attends Sunset International Bible Institute full time for the next 18 months to train as a minister. We are asking members to commit/pledge at whatever amount your heart and ability can provide for this period of time. This is a commitment over and above your regular giving and we hope all members will participate to the level of their ability and heart for God. Our target is to provide $3,000 per month and all commitments, whether large or small, are helpful and appreciated.
Please make checks and money orders payable to Church of Christ in Roxbury and write Mission Fund in the memo line.
Electronic donations may be made via the E-Giving option at ChurchofChristinRoxbury.org/e-giving. Specify Mission Fund in the comments section.
Click here to complete the pledge form electronically.
| | NEBI CHURCH LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP | 2025 NEW ENGLAND LECTURESHIP | | OUR CURRENT COVID PROTOCOLS | | |
Until further notice, we have suspended the requirement for attendees to sign up in advance to attend Sunday worship. We have also suspended attendance taking at our in-person services, classes, and events. Masking remains optional.
Remember that although COVID numbers are down, COVID has not gone away, and is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Please protect yourself and those around you by adhering to the guidelines below.
If you test positive for COVID after attending an in-person church event, please notify us by email at cocroxbury@gmail.com or by text to Sis. Gloria Gallington at 617-922-5987 so that notifications can be made as needed.
For up-to-date information regarding COVID in Massachusetts, click the link below:
COVID-19 Updates and Information | Mass.gov
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We will continue to offer two Sunday morning worship services to accommodate in-person attendees
The first service begins at 8:30 a.m. and runs until approximately 9:45 a.m.; the second service begins at 11:00 a.m. Our weekly Bible classes for all ages begin at 10:00 a.m. We will continue to livestream the 11:00 service on our YouTube channel, and we encourage members to utilize e-giving, even when attending in person. As noted under News & Notes, it is no longer necessary to sign up in advance to attend worship services in person.
E-giving link
https://churchofchristinroxbury.org/e-giving
Livestream link
Church of Christ in Roxbury - YouTube
| | Our next monthly community outreach grocery distribution will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. at the church building. All are welcome to participate. Distribution begins at 11:00 a.m. | | |
Remote & In-Person
Class/Meeting Schedule
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Wednesday Night In-Person & Dial-In Bible Study
Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. in-person and via freeconferencecall.com.
Dial in number: 978-990-5000
Access Code: 261232#
| | REMINDER: Please remember to mute your phone or computer when joining any of the above conference calls to avoid interrupting the class or service you are entering, particularly if you are joining the call after the event has started. | | The Couples' Ministry meets the second and third Fridays of the month at 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Meetings resumed on Friday, January 10, 2025. | |
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Our next Women's Class will take place on Sunday, April 27th at 5:00 p.m at the church building and via Free Conference Call.
Dial in number: 978-990-5000
Access Code: 261232#
Or join the class online at join.freeconferencecall.com/carl95fred
The book we will be reading for 2025 is Consider One Another by Aubrey Johnson. It is available from Amazon.com for $13.99 plus tax.
Please read the preface and chapter 1 prior to our April 27th class.
Sis. Pamela Alexander will facilitate the discussion.
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ZOOM MEETING ID:8219618 8924
TO JOIN BY PHONE DIAL 1-929-205-6099 AND ENTER MEETING ID 8219618 8924, THEN PRESS#
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2025 Mature in Heart Pennsylvania Dutch Country Excursion: Thursday, September 18 - Friday, September 19
Single Hotel -- $574
Double Hotel -- $441
Triple Hotel -- $402
Quad Hotel -- $383
Couple King -- $915
$125 Deposit ASAP to secure a spot
Must be paid in full by July 31st
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Next men's class is Sunday, April 27th at 5 p.m. at the church building.
| | Registration is now open. Scan the QR code above to register. If you have questions, please see Sis. Juanita Tabb. | | The Singles' Ministry meets the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the building. | |
Young Adult Ministry (YAM) | |
Monthly Ministry Meeting
1st Sunday of each month at 1:00 p.m.
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Meetings & Events
4/6 - Youth & Family Ministry Meeting, 2pm @church building.
4/7 - Ministers'/Elders'/Deacons' Meeting, 7pm
4/7 - Singles' Ministry Meeting, 6:30pm @church building.
4/11-13 - Northeastern Youth Conference, Newark, NJ
4/13 - Deacons' Meeting
4/13 - Spiritual Development Class, 4:45 p.m. @church building
4/20 - Retention Ministry Meeting after 11:00 a.m. service.
4/21 - Singles' Ministry Meeting, 6:30pm @church building.
4/22-25 - Comic Camp: Roxbury @Roxbury Branch of BPL. See Upcoming Events for details.
4/22-25 - Creative Activities for Learning Mindfulness (CALM) for ages 9-12 @ Roxbury Branch of BPL. See Upcoming Events for details.
4/25-26 - NEBI Leadership Seminar, Farmington, CT
4/26 - Community Outreach, 9:30am @church building.
4/26 - Warwick CoC Youth Rally, Warwick, RI
4/27 - Men's/Women's Classes, 4:45 p.m. @church building
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Ministry Meetings - Please contact your ministry coordinator for remote meeting schedules.
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- Sunday New Converts' Class, 10:00am @church building
- Sunday Bible Class (children) Sundays at 10:00am @church building
- Sunday Adult Devotional/Bible Study, 10:00am @church building
- Sunday Worship Service 8:30 and 11:00am in person and 11:00am via livestream on YouTube. See above for details.
- Men's/Women's Classes, 5pm (4th Sunday of the month) @church building unless otherwise noted.
- Youth & Family Ministry (1st Sunday of the month at 2pm)
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Mature in Heart Women's Prayer (Tuesdays @ 10:30am) VIA TELECONFERENCE (connection info above)
- Prayer Meeting (Tuesdays @ 7pm) VIA TELECONFERENCE (connection info above)
- Mid-Week Bible Study (Wednesdays @ 6:30pm) in person and VIA TELECONFERENCE (connection info above)
- Mid-Week New Converts' Class (Wednesdays @ 6:30pm) @church building
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Healing Hearts (Thursdays @6:15pm) VIA ZOOM
- Couple's Ministry (2nd & 3rd Fridays @ 7 pm)
- Retention Ministry (3rd Sunday following 11:00 service)
- Women's Prayer (Saturdays 9:30am) VIA TELECONFERENCE (Connection info above)
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Close to Him Ministry is an inspiring organization that welcomes both curious seekers and devoted Christians.
They embark on a journey to ignite your faith and bring you closer to God. Whether you’re already on a path of belief or just starting to explore, they offer a warm space to delve into the richness of the Christian faith.
Close to Him Ministry was founded by Bro. Frank Addae. Its mission is to spread the Word of God, provide evidence of His existence, and guide both Christians and non-Christians towards a deeper more meaningful relationship with Him. For more information or to subscribe to Close to Him Ministry, follow this link:
https://www.youtube.com/@ClosetoHimMinistry
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Bro. John Kurpiel, minister for the Lawrence congregation, hosts an international radio program, “Soul Food,” on Mondays and Tuesdays from 11AM until 3PM. The program airs on Ignite Radio Broadcast via Mixlr, an interactive internet radio platform. Use the link below to tune in to listen, or to participate in the conversation. Always free to listen. https://mixlr.com/ignite-radio-broadcast.
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Church of Christ in Roxbury
81 Walnut Avenue
Roxbury, MA 02119
617-442-5826
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