As I look back on the first month with Yates Baptist Church, I marvel at the amount of spiritual ground we have covered in so short a time leading up to Easter. Last Sunday, we gathered for Easter worship, and what a day it was! With a sanctuary full of people and praise, we celebrated the baptism of a new Christian and her testimony inspired and challenged us to renewed faith. With stirring music, children and adults drew our hearts and minds to focus on the power and love of God which triumphs over death and despair. Being the church truly takes all of us, and being the church at Easter is quite special.
As I made my way home Sunday afternoon, I smiled with the optimism that comes when a pastor sees a church’s ministries and leaders focused on a singular purpose. I prayed over how we might carry forward the marvelous spirit of a good day, and a simple thought came to me: “Maybe we should make Easter out of every Sunday.”
When you think about it, we don’t have to contrive a reason to make every Sunday Easter, because every Sunday is, or should be, Easter already. Every Sunday is another “first day of the week,” a day of resurrection. In fact, since ancient times, every Sunday has been affirmed as a “little Easter.” Some of you might know that some churches understand Easter not to be a single day, but instead refer to Easter as the Great Fifty Days that lead up to Pentecost, the celebration of the Holy Spirit as the life-breath of the church.
I believe that whenever we listen for and live out the wisdom of God’s Holy Spirit in the interpretation of the Scriptures, whenever we break bread together, whenever we devote ourselves to prayer, whenever we share our gifts sacrificially with one another and the world, whenever we tell the good news of what God has done, is doing, and shall do, in Christ, we witness to the power and truth of the risen Lord let loose among us. Imagine how our church and our community might be transformed if we did our part to string together 51 more weeks like this past one. How might we at Yates be animated by the life-giving Spirit of God if we continued to reach in, reach out and reach up in worship, evangelism and service with such singular focus and effort? Maybe we can understand what it means to claim every Sunday as a “little Easter,” and experience Jesus’ life, abundant and eternal, here and now.
We can find out on Sunday. See you there!