Building on the Good Friday preparation, we wanted to come into worship rejoicing over the miracle of Christ's resurrection. So we prepared a set of music to raise the roof.
All the Earth Will Sing Your Praises
Arise
Hosanna
O Worship the King - (Tomlin version)
I Can Only Imagine (special music sung by Emily Shermer)
Jesus Paid It All
and as we left we sang what might just be my favorite song.
How Can I Keep From Singing
I tried to help the congregation understand first that Easter was a fact, and secondly that Easter matters beyond the hoopla of the one day a year we celebrate. So I talked about the difference between things we can have a preference for and things that are a fact. Had fun getting the congregation to express their preferences for FSU vs UF or UA, vanilla vs chocolate vs Strawberry, Reese's Cups vs Snickers. Then I pushed to help them understand the difference. I then tried to deal with 5 big questions and Easter's answer to them.
Showing posts with label Easter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Easter. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Twas the Night Before Easter
I had no idea there were so many parodies of Clement Moore's "Twas the Night Before Christmas" having to do with Easter until I Googled that phrase. Everyone seems to have beaten me to the punch.
Having entered the "preacher bubble" some years ago, I tend to forget what the rest of the world is doing during Holy Week, and just how messed up the culture is when it comes to holidays. Now don't get me wrong, I love holidays. But come on. Easter changes everything!
So later this morning I'll stand in front of a congregation and try to get them to think through what an awesomely staggering accomplishment God did when He brought His Son back to life.
This is no "one off" miracle that God did just to make a point.
Easter changes everything.
It's either true or it isn't. And if true, we must decide whether to reject Christ and His amazing offer of forgiveness and restoration, or die in our sins.
(BTW - I'm taking the "it's true" POV) :)
So I'm done with the darkness of Good Friday.
It's Easter. He Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed!
Having entered the "preacher bubble" some years ago, I tend to forget what the rest of the world is doing during Holy Week, and just how messed up the culture is when it comes to holidays. Now don't get me wrong, I love holidays. But come on. Easter changes everything!
So later this morning I'll stand in front of a congregation and try to get them to think through what an awesomely staggering accomplishment God did when He brought His Son back to life.
This is no "one off" miracle that God did just to make a point.
Easter changes everything.
It's either true or it isn't. And if true, we must decide whether to reject Christ and His amazing offer of forgiveness and restoration, or die in our sins.
(BTW - I'm taking the "it's true" POV) :)
So I'm done with the darkness of Good Friday.
It's Easter. He Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed!
Friday, March 21, 2008
While We Go About Our Business This Weekend
Easter weekend has begun, with churches all over busy holding Good Friday services, Saturday easter Egg hunts, and Easter morning sunrise services. It's a frenzy for some.
Ironic isn't it.
The first participants would have been huddled in darkness, shrouded in secrecy, straining to hear footsteps that might mean the same officials who put their Master to death had decided to handle the rest of the problem. Nerves would have been raw. Tempers short. The dark room's outlines must have seemed fuzzy through bleary, tear stained eyes.
It was as if all the light had fled, all the life they had known - was dead. Buried. Gone. Forever.
Who of us can identify?
Who of us can understand just how lost they felt that Saturday before Easter?
When there was... no hope.
Ironic isn't it.
The first participants would have been huddled in darkness, shrouded in secrecy, straining to hear footsteps that might mean the same officials who put their Master to death had decided to handle the rest of the problem. Nerves would have been raw. Tempers short. The dark room's outlines must have seemed fuzzy through bleary, tear stained eyes.
It was as if all the light had fled, all the life they had known - was dead. Buried. Gone. Forever.
Who of us can identify?
Who of us can understand just how lost they felt that Saturday before Easter?
When there was... no hope.
A Dangerous Time - This Easter
Bob Hyatt issues a timely reminder today.
Look, I'm not saying we shouldn't take advantage of increased visitor attendance and preach the Gospel and hope that God does something amazing in people's lives...
I'm just saying that if that's your strategy- wait for someone to wander within range of your Gospel cannons and then fire on them in hopes of scoring a hit, or worse yet, doing some cool things in the hopes that they might be lured within range, then I think there a better way. Less defined, less able to be controlled by the pastors, less able to brag about at pastor's conferences or have a book written about it... but better. People loving people into your community and into relationship with Jesus.
It doesn't take mailers, banners, and Cirque Du Soleil every week. Just a bunch of loving, welcoming Christ followers. People who genuinely care. People who are seeking relationships with other people, and sharing life with them. A competent all-community gathering where things work well so as not to be a distraction from what God wants to do that morning, sure... but less of a focus on Sunday mornings as the center of community and more of a focus on the community and its revolving around Jesus Himself.
I remain convinced that what we win people with, we win them to.
Go read the whole thing. That guy makes a lot of sense. Not like that's unusual. :)
Sunday, April 01, 2007
The Super Bowl, World Series, World Cup and the Masters
Well, it seems like that way.
It's Holy week.
Even people who don't think about church the rest of the year think of it during Holy week. Maybe it's the blizzard of invite cards from churches. Maybe going to CVS for Easter candy stirs their memory. But it is one of those times of opportunity.
At New Hope we're working through our people, equipping them with invitations for their friends, coworkers, neighbors and loved ones, and asking them to personally invite them. We prepared two types, one for adults, and another for youth and older children. Personally, I like "Come Hang Out With Your Peeps", but that's just me.
Later this week we'll have a family time of communion on Thursday and then our Service of Shadows on Good Friday. That is a time of darkness and reflection on the cost paid for our sins. It is my favorite service all year. I need to remember.
And then Easter - CELEBRATION!!!
But after the crowds, then what? I was grateful for Gary Rohrmayer's blog post on how to follow up on Easter. "The "Next Steps" Principle" is an excellent primer on just how to make Easter the jumpstart you want your church to experience.
What "Next Steps" are you going to offer this year?
It's Holy week.
Even people who don't think about church the rest of the year think of it during Holy week. Maybe it's the blizzard of invite cards from churches. Maybe going to CVS for Easter candy stirs their memory. But it is one of those times of opportunity.
At New Hope we're working through our people, equipping them with invitations for their friends, coworkers, neighbors and loved ones, and asking them to personally invite them. We prepared two types, one for adults, and another for youth and older children. Personally, I like "Come Hang Out With Your Peeps", but that's just me.
Later this week we'll have a family time of communion on Thursday and then our Service of Shadows on Good Friday. That is a time of darkness and reflection on the cost paid for our sins. It is my favorite service all year. I need to remember.
And then Easter - CELEBRATION!!!
But after the crowds, then what? I was grateful for Gary Rohrmayer's blog post on how to follow up on Easter. "The "Next Steps" Principle" is an excellent primer on just how to make Easter the jumpstart you want your church to experience.
What "Next Steps" are you going to offer this year?
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