Christians celebrate a rebirth on Easter

The Lord spoke to Sylvester Rogers in a Chevy Caprice.

It was 1972, and Rogers was on his way to his job as a blackjack dealer at the Sahara Hotel.

"He said, 'If I were you, I'd change my way of life,' " said Rogers, then a 32-year-old who "went to parties and danced a lot."

"I looked all around me to see who was in the car with me, but there wasn't anyone in there but me.

"I remember it clearly -- as I hit the dip at D Street and Washington, He said it again: 'You might as well change your life.' "

Shortly thereafter, Rogers started attending a Baptist church in West Las Vegas and two years later he became a minister.

"There was a new direction for me, a rebirth of putting Christ back into my life," said Rogers, now the pastor at Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church.

It was the kind of renewal Christians associate with Easter, a holiday that commemorates Jesus Christ's resurrection. On Sunday Christians will celebrate Easter at special church services and events valleywide.

"For us as Christians, it is a new life and a new birth. Easter is about the resurrection, and it's about re-structuring our lives," Rogers said.

According to biblical history, Jesus of Nazareth was crucified by the Romans and three days later arose from the dead.

His resurrection is regarded as authentication of his role as the Son of God and revealer of the kingdom of God, as well as a call to spread his spiritual teachings.

Over the years Easter celebrations have become known for symbols less apparently related to Christ's resurrection: The Bunny & The Eggs.

Eggs are viewed generally as a symbol of new life. Although they are most readily associated with the Christian holiday now, they were also a part of spring spiritual festivities in ancient civilizations. Then, farmers buried roasted eggs in their fields believing that the eggs' symbolic fertility would bring plentiful crops. Children often sneaked into the fields and dug them up, creating the ritual of the Easter egg hunt.

The Easter Bunny appears in folklore later. One version of the Easter Bunny legend arises from a tale of a poor woman who could not afford gifts for her children on Easter. The woman painted boiled eggs bright colors as gifts, and hid them under a bush. Later, the children discovered that a bunny had nestled up with the eggs, and they believed the bunny had actually laid the eggs.

Easter celebrations vary widely depending on the Christian congregation. Some Las Vegas churches will hold traditional sunrise services. Rogers will co-host a 5 a.m. service at the Carver Missionary Baptist Church, 1221 N. J St. Other churches, such as the Hallelujah Christian Fellowship, will offer a wide array of performances. At the "Xtreme Love -- A Citywide Easter Happening" celebration sponsored by Hallelujah, a pop singer, a professional wrestler and an evangelist will all offer their Easter message. The event takes place at 10 a.m. at Cashman Center Theater, 850 Las Vegas Blvd. North.

"The important thing is, a lot of people that don't always go to church come on Easter," Rogers said. "They're ready to restructure their lives."

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