Easter 2010

As the Easter season approached this year I noticed all the fliers from all the churches around town and I began to calculate, in my head, how many thousands of goody-filled eggs were going to be dropped on parks all over town as a bait to draw people into the celebration of the corner-stone event of our Christian faith and it made me a little queasy. Traditionally, churches see Christmas and Easter as the time to take advantage of the wave of guilt-ridden/obligatory visitors that flood our churches two times a year. And I have always been a big fan of that, however, this year I have paused to think about it in a deeper way. Just like regular Sundays, these holidays can be done right and they can be done wrong...in my opinion.

It is the Holy Spirit that draws a man to Christ. We plant the seeds another waters and another reaps. In my experience, here and on the mission field, the most passionate conversions (not all but most) have been a process of people being  poured into by the church before they ever stepped foot in the door. I think the difference between the churches that provide a carnival with fun activities and emotional responses to the gospel that melt away as fast as the easter candy and the churches that see genuine growth in their church after such an event is the church that is already vested in their community. I think we forget sometimes that it isn't a contest. It isn't about who does it biggest it is about who does it with the heart of Christ.

So I did go to one Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by one of the churches I visited earlier this year, Encounter Community Church. It was held on Saturday instead of Sunday (loved this). It was in a park that drew on the demographic this church already ministers to and has been for a year (and they are in their community for real). There was an egg hunt, blow up thingy, face painting, etc. Toward the end of the event the drama team performed an awesome and spiritually moving production. It was set to a secular song mix and talked about all the things in life that pull us down and yet the hope within us searches for more. It wasn't "Eastery" it was relevant. The crowd was mesmerized and touched, to their core. Big tough guys and moms from the projects with 5 kids and teens all stopped to watch, some raising their hands for prayer or for salvation. And the church was there moving through the crowd with their hand on a shoulder or sitting beside and praying and talking with those in need.

I was standing off to the side taking pictures and I noticed two teenage girls watching the drama. The blonde one was in a huff and stomped off. The one with dark hair didn't budge and I noticed she had shyly been half raising her hand as the pastor spoke. I edged closer (you know how God says, "Yeah, that one over there. Go talk to them.") So we began to talk and she said to pray for her friend because she was an Atheist and then she went on to say how she had never seen a drama quite like that one and how it really touched her. She took a Bible and information on the youth group and talked with the youth pastor. I noticed 20 minutes after the drama was over people were still talking and praying together.

One more cool thing (perhaps the coolest thing of all), the next day there was regular church. There was an immediate opportunity to take new commitments to a place of worship the very next day. Secondly, the "church" would be able to come together, on this sacred occasion of Easter, and worship and honor the sacrifice of our Lord without the distraction of being the entertainment. I really like that idea. There is a time to serve and a time to be fed.

My faith in church-sponsored Easter Egg hunts was restored a little that day :)