(12.24AM EST - Sun April 1)John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (NIV)
This week someone called the church office to ask about what we are doing for Easter. “My grand-kids are coming into town, and I was wondering if you have an Easter egg hunt?” No question about a sunrise service or special Easter music. No enquiry about whether the Gospel is preached or if Christ is glorified during the worship. Just a plain and simple question: are you having an Easter egg hunt?
You’ve got to love the naivety of the world, right now. It’s all about what we can get from church, not how much we can give. I can just imagine the first century Christians shaking their heads in despair as they are being led into the Coliseum to be mauled and eaten alive by lions. They gave their lives for Christ, not egg hunts. Our culture is really sick and narcissistic to the ultimate degree. Our generation has become biblically illiterate and spiritually foolish. The more we pander to ourselves, the less we care about Christ.
The challenge for us this Easter is to do something Lentish – let’s give up ourselves for Christ. Let’s not succumb to the cultural niceties. Instead, let’s retake Easter for Christ before the world turns it into another commercial festive occasion where bunny rabbits and candy filled eggs mean more to us, rather than a Savior dying on the Cross, and the Christ being resurrected.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You command us to love one another, just as You have loved us. We tend to get the first part right, without remembering the second part at all. Your love was so great that You gave up Your life, Your time, and Your health for us. Remind us this Easter of the cost of Your love, and keep us from innocently or unintentionally cheapening Your sacrifice. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
Stushie writes the daily devotional blog Heaven's Highway; the weekly current religious newsblog Stushie's Stuff; and the Celtic Sunday worship prayers at Aaron's Beard
4 comments:
I just happend onto you blog by hitting "next blog" and I was kind of taken back by your words. My number one goal in life is to be closer to my Jesus Crist. That being said an Easter Egg hunt is something that reminds us to have fun and reminds us to have joy in the fact that He has risen agian. I don't think an Easter Egg Hunt is overshadowing Jesus Christ. If we put Jesus Christ first there is room for fun like an Easter Egg hunt. I just thougt you might want and different point of view.
Our church is having an Easter Egg Hunt - we do it every year. It's just the audacity of the question that hit me - someone looking for a church at Easter only for the egg hunt.
We too are having a hunt, in fact I instigated it - more for the joy I see in the children's eyes. And yet, when I read about the church around the world, through the centuries, in does feel trivial and a cosmetic way to celebrate the greatest day for mankind. We need more voices in the U.S. reminding us (the church) of our place in this time and our obligation/opportunity to bless others with this incredible good news.
On our presbytery website we list Holy Week services, and have gotten several (5 or more) hits from google searches for a city name plus "Easter Egg Hunt."
My view is that if I can get someone to my church, even with something as childlike as an egg hunt, then I have a greater opportunity to minister to them than if they never came at all.
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