Baby Gant Days: Easter 2011

With riding bikes under their belts, Easter was about Jesus, baskets and hunting for eggs. I’m not sure for 2 and 4-yr-olds it was exactly in that order, but we definitely celebrated at church. Except we didn’t celebrate at Austin High School like we usually do. We celebrated at the UT Erwin Center. You know – the basketball arena. Sa-WEET!

For a couple of weeks leading up to Easter, Drew and I took the boys to the Erwin Center and looked around, walked around the concourses outside, talked to them about how this was going to be our Easter church and then we prayed for our pastors, taking care of all the kids, all the logistics and all the visitors. The boys prayed for Pastor Matt (Carter) and Pastor John (Murchison). It was a great time of prayerful preparation and also mental preparation so that they were ready for a completely different environment on Easter Sunday. Gratefully, both boys went into their KidStuff areas without hesitation and had a great time.

Drew and I worshiped with thousands others (I think it was close to 11K) in the arena, being lead-off with a prayer by Coach Barnes - UT’s basketball coach and the instigator behind using the Erwin Center for Easter services. Unbeknownst to the vast congregation, Matt revealed that morning, Coach Barnes approached Matt with this idea and arranged for it to happen. Coach Barnes’ prayer was contrite and humble, and it left most of us in tears before we echoed amen. Worship was wonderful. Matt’s sermon was great, and in addition to that we were able to bless the city of Austin by being open & visible and by collecting large donations of food for the food bank. It was a GREAT Easter.

Here is a clip from the local cable news station about our service.

Here are some highlights from the materialistic side of things: