When Easter Meant You Had a Speech AND a Testimony

I remember growing up, Easter wasn’t optional. You didn’t just show up—you had to participate.

You had a speech.

Not a cute little “Jesus loves me” either.

I’m talking about:

“He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities…”

And if you mess it up it was okay because you were at church.

Because somewhere in the pews sat an auntie who knew that scripture better than you AND your Sunday school teacher combined.

Now once my mama discovered I could write poetry? Oh, it was over for me.

I wasn’t reciting anymore.
I was producing original content for the Kingdom.

Poems. Dramatic pauses. Hand movements.
All before I even knew what “stage presence” was.

 The Fashion Show Nobody Talks About

Easter Sunday? Whew.

That wasn’t just church—that was a runway.

• New dress ✔️
• Shiny shoes ✔️
• Hair laid ✔️
• Hat big enough to block your neighbor’s blessing ✔️

And don’t let it be a Black grandma in the building…

She didn’t come to play. She came to represent the resurrection in full color coordination.

🎶 What Happened to the Choirs?

And can we talk about the choirs?

Not just a choir.

I mean:

• The mass choir
• The youth choir
• The children’s choir (offbeat but anointed)
• The Easter cantata that lasted longer than the sermon

Where are the plays?

Christian Movies about the Bible...And Jesus Christ coming to the world to save us.

Where is the cross on stage?

Where is the scene where Jesus rises on the 3rd day and somebody in the audience starts crying for real?

Because we didn’t just hear about Jesus… We felt Him.

⛪ Church Hopping Was a Family Affair

Easter Sunday wasn’t one service.

Oh no.

You were going from church to church like it was a holy tour:

• “My niece speaking at 11”
• “My cousin singing at 2”
• “We stopping by Big Mama’s church at 4”

Gas tank on E. Spirit on full.

🤔 So… What Happened?

Now?

We get one sermon.
Maybe a cute announcement.
And everybody’s home by brunch.

No speeches.
No productions.
No lingering presence that says, “Something sacred just happened here.”

And I have to ask…

Have we made Easter convenient… and lost its conviction?

Let’s Be Honest for a Second

Is Easter still about Jesus Christ dying on the cross?

Or has it become:

• A photo op
• A fashion moment
• A quick service before reservations

Because the truth is…

Back then, we didn’t have much—but we had reverence.

We had time.
We had intention.
We had a deep understanding that this was the moment that changed everything.

Maybe It’s Not Gone… Maybe It’s Waiting

Now don’t get me wrong—I’m not here to drag the modern church.

But I am here to remind us:

We can bring that back.

• Let the kids speak again
• Let the choirs sing like they mean it
• Let the church feel like a celebration of sacrifice and victory, not a checkbox

Because Easter isn’t just about what He did…

It’s about making sure we never forget it.