Twas the Week After Easter

Thoughts on Advancing the Church with Easter's Momentum

Twas the week after Easter and all of God's house
Traded praises and pews for tv's and a couch.
Last week we were singing with triumph and joy
This week we've gone mute, with no songs to rejoice.
Though Jesus gave me all that He had to give
One week was enough - now it's my life to live.
With the stripes in His side and the scars in His hand
He sees me drift away; I'm sure He'll understand.
For while Easter was great with its cross and its tomb
This week's nothing special, and I have much to do.
But I'll be back, don't you worry, my friend
That day in December when Santa comes again!
By then I'll forget what this stuff's all about
But I'd rather not be too religious - too devout.
So I'll tell God I love Him those two weeks a year
The rest of the time, the real "me" appears.

We all know them. The “CEO” Christians - Christmas and Easter only. This is not meant to be a condemnation toward anyone, but rather an encouragement to keep the faith. We had a wonderful Easter weekend at Southern Heights! Our Good Friday service was absolutely beautiful as we sang of the cross, reflected on Christ’s sacrifice for us, and participated in Communion together. On Saturday, our community came by to enjoy the egg hunt that we hosted. We were able to meet new people, strike up meaningful conversations, and share the Gospel. On Sunday, we met early to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord! We enjoyed a meal together before reconvening for our morning worship service. And what a blessed service that it was! It was moving, encouraging, and even challenging at some points. God was so good to us as we blessed His name.

The place was full! I use “full” loosely - we undoubtedly could have held at least twice what we actually had, but the crowd was noticeably larger than normal. We have momentum right now. We have just called our new Associate Pastor of Students and Families. We are seeing young people step up and take ownership of some things. We have had young families come and be a part of our services. We are beginning to step into our vision of “Southern Heights Loves the Ninth.” Now is not the time to take a back seat. Now is not the time to back off. Now is not the time to become anything close to a “CEO” Christian. And if you really are one of those, then now is not the time to continue in that path.

No, now is the time for action! Now is the time for faith, prayer, and service. Now is the time for us to be bold and capitalize on the momentum that we have. Was there someone sitting near you this Sunday that you did not know? I hope that you connected with them! Is there someone who was here that you can reach out to? I hope that you will! Was there a family at the egg hunt that you made contact with and that you can invite to Sunday School or another program? I hope and pray that you will do so. Is your Sunday School class planning an outreach project? I hope that it is, or that it will. Is your talent/gift being used? If not, I hope that you will put it to use.

At the very least, come to church. Jesus left Heaven’s throne to take a cross on His back. He bled, died, and was buried. He paid the penalty for your sins. He victoriously rose from the grave and gave us life. And the truth is that we don’t just celebrate that on Easter. We celebrate that every time that we come together to worship! That’s why we call it the Lord’s Day, after all - every Sunday is a time to remember what He accomplished for us. So I urge you, whoever and wherever you may be: don’t be one of those CEO Christians. This Sunday, the doors of God’s house will be open. We at Southern Heights will have a place for you. Come worship the risen King.