Ridgell's Originals

 I have really mixed feelings about Easter.  I don't have any mixed feelings about Jesus.  Or the Resurrection.  Or meeting for worship on Sundays.  Or meeting on other days for worship.  

I do have mixed feelings about what churches and Christians should do about Easter.

Let me get the obvious out of the way.  I don't think Christians are commanded to celebrate Easter.  If it is not in the Bible, it is not something I must do.  But that doesn't make it wrong.  I never have understood why some Chritians condemn any kind of Easter recognition while insisting that Christians must worship twice on Sunday.  I am not sure you see that in Scripture.  There is certainly nothing in Scripture about taking communion by yourself while the rest of the assembly waits on you.  

But I am a little thrown off by the implied belief in some churches that Easter is the most Holy Sunday.  Of course, I am one of those bothered by the fact that some imply Sunday is the most Holy day of the week.  

What do you do about Christians who only show up on Easter?  Do you try and point out that Easter only Christianity is not what Jesus calls them to?  But then you would need to point out that Sundays only Christianity is not what Jesus calls them to either.

Do you celebrate their attendance and inadvertently reinforce that "once a year" is appropriate?

Do you celebrate Lent?  Obviously not in the Bible.  But giving up some things in order to focus on God is appropriate.  Ash Wednesday?  Pretty hard to do that without everyone knowing what you are doing.  But not a bad idea to focus on our mortality.  

Churches will have different reactions to Easter.  So will individual Christians.

As for me...

I don't do Lent.  Or Ash Wednesday.  Or really even Easter.  But I don't condemn those that do.  :Unless they try and bind it on me.

I think we ought to focus on the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.  Yes I do think it should be a focus every Sunday, but especially on Easter.  Because of the once a year Christians.  Because of the non-Christian visitors.  Because of the lost sheep that may be there for the first time in a long time.  

Resurrection.  God raised Jesus from the dead.  

And this is the greatest Sunday of the year to invite visitors to worship with us.  To hear the message that Jesus died and was raised from the dead.  For them. And if they believe it, they can die and be raised to a new life here and someday to be raised from the dead to live with God forever.

That is Easter for me.  

A chance to grow the Kingdom.  And that is what God wants.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM