Butterfly Release at the Cross

Each Easter, members of our church bring cut flowers to tuck into a cross covered with chicken wire. Some flowers are purchased and some are picked from church member's gardens as they leave their homes to travel to church. By the time church starts, the cross is covered with flowers.

It's a beautiful cross and makes a wonderful backdrop for Easter family photos. Dozens of people take photos of their families after church, standing in front of the cross.













At the end of our Easter church service, each person receives a butterfly to release at the cross. At a signal from our pastor, the butterflies are released all at one time, each person individually releasing one butterfly.














Butterflies are passed out in glassine envelopes, which keep the butterflies safe and snug until they are released. These butterflies are farm raised and are first released into nature at the church. A sticker on the envelope reminds everyone of the reason for the release

























Butterflies are especially symbolic of Christ and his Resurrection. The chrysalis is symbolic of the tomb or grave. The adult butterfly is symbolic of Resurrection, life, and hope.

When released, many of the butterflies fly to the flowers on the cross. After a short while, they fly off to find flowers for nectar and each species particular host plant to lay eggs.

Butterflies are now packed and waiting for their release tomorrow after church. Pastor Steve will share with us the glorious story of Christ, his Crucifixion, and Resurrection. After this message, we will go outside and release butterflies.

What we often forget is that Good Friday was the day that Mary watched her son, friends watched their friend, and brothers and sisters watched their brother being nailed to a cross, suffer, and die. It was not a glorious sight. It was horrible and heartbreaking. The cross was designed as a torturous death. It was a torturous death.

Most people's vision of the cross is fairly clean. It is made of clean wood (or other material) without the blood and groans of pain visible or audible. It is often draped with purple material. Even with the figure of a man painted or carved on the cross, the blood and agony isn't often shown.

This horrific death was suffered by thousands of people. Crosses were covered with the blood of thousands of people, some innocent of the crime they were accused of commiting but not innocent of any sin, like Jesus was. Thousands of backs were filled with splinters from crosses. But out of the thousands, only one could have simply spoken the word and had ten thousand angels to come to his rescue (see below).

Out of the thousands of crucified people, only one could have and did take my sins to the cross with him. Only one could take the punishment for my sins. Only one could have and he did.

So what is there to say about this type of love? This type of love that could only come from this man who did not WANT to go to the cross but loved the Father and loved me enough to do so. A man who had the power NOT to go to the cross but chose to do so even though it wasn't his will to die in that manner.

It was not HIS will to die this horrific death. But it was HIS will to do the will of the Father and that was what he prayed in the garden while his friends slept, "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done".

There is so much I could say but what counts isn't what I say. It's what I do. It's what I think. It's what I am in the very depths of me, the very essence of myself, that counts. I pray that what I AM will speak for me of the love I have for this man, the son of God, who is God himself, Jesus Christ.

I am thankful that God has and will forgive me for the gaps between what I am and what I should be. That's what Easter is all about!

Matthew 26:53
"Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?"

Luke 22:41-48
41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

47And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.

48But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?

Butterflies, rattlesnakes, and Jesus

I was out taking photos of Gulf Fritillary caterpillars. This area in the pine woods was sunny without much shade. The trees weren’t full at the top, letting in a great deal of sunlight. Gulf Fritillary butterflies lay eggs on passionvine in the sun and the area was full of passionvine and blackberry briers.

Now I see several poisonous snakes every year as I wander through the fields and woods taking photos of butterflies, caterpillars, plants, and more …

… but this one, it was a rattlesnake. It was BIG! Well, at least it sure seemed big. Now that I’m not toe to fang with it, I can say that although it was a chunky one, it was only about three feet long.

I wondered as I backed slowly away from this particular rattlesnake; what would happen if I died while photographing butterflies in the woods and fields? Some places where I wander are a mile from a gate; dirt roads without houses in the area. I sometimes wander in and out of brush and briars for hours on end (and I will never admit to being lost but it does take me an hour every now and then to find my bearings). Suppose something did happen to me and I wasn’t able to get out in time?

Immediately the thought came to me, I know what people would say; 1) “I knew she shouldn’t be out there alone” and 2) “She died doing what she loved to do”.

I was thinking about Jesus and how he died. He died doing what he loved to do, so to speak. He wasn't enthuastic about dying on the cross, that isn't what I mean. He prayed that if the Father was willing, that the Father would "take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done". No, dying on a cross was not his ideal way to spend the last day of his last week.

The Pharisees were very judgmental, looking down upon him because he spent time with ‘sinners’. He spent time with his closest friends, of course, but that wasn’t his primary purpose here on earth. Spending time with ‘sinners’? Yes, this was what Jesus did – spend his time with those who needed him. Sadly, not all ‘sinners’ accepted his words. He was not able to save them all but he did save many.

He spent much of his time doing the same thing he was doing when he died.

I thought of how Jesus died. He died as he lived, among ‘sinners’. Literally, he died between ‘sinners’; two criminals. And just as earlier, when his feet were on the ground for 33 1/2 years, he wasn’t able to save both; but he did save one of the criminals in his last hours.

Too many people blame themselves for not reaching the hearts (for God) of every person they love or care about. Their family, friends, children, parents, siblings, spouse, co-workers; they cannot turn their friends and family to accept the gift of salvation. They become depressed and hold themselves personally responsible.

But Jesus himself didn’t reach everyone’s heart. If Jesus couldn’t, how can we expect ourselves to do so?

We need to simply do the best we can, be joyful, and let go of self-blame. Unjustified self-blame is a tool of Satan. How he loves to weigh us down with this burden so that we can’t do near as much for God as we’d like. If we’re bogged down in unjustified self-blame, how can we shine and reach out with joy and love?

Now I’m not ready to die from a rattlesnake bite out a mile from anywhere and if it's God will, I'd rather not die that way at all.

But I am ready to learn from Jesus; don’t blame myself for not helping everyone. But I don't need to use that as an excuse not to try to help others either!

I need only to do my best and let God take care of all the rest.

Luke 22:42
"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

Mark 2
15While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
17On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."


Luke 23
32Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."[e] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."
36The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."
38There was a written notice above him, which read:|sc THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[f]"
43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."