Monday, March 28, 2016

Easter: Window dressing or the right way?

I am just going to preface this has been interesting discussion I have had with people. So bring it on.

Imagine going to a restaurant that friends have told you about and have told you how wonderful it was. They tell you the best day to go is a week from now. So you get a chance to go with your spouse and walk into a beautiful eating establishment. You are immediately seated with no wait and the service is spectacular. The food and just the overall experience are nothing like you never had. You leave the restaurant already planning the next visit. You have scheduled to go the same time the next week. You walk into this establishment and they greet you and seat with very nice service again, but instead of fine china you dixie paper plates. The food is Ok but the ambiance is not the same and you walk away disappointed, because it did not meet up to your first visit expectations.

Is this what the church of America does with Easter? We have extra services because people are coming. We give gifts. We have radio promos. We bombard social media. We have extra choir specials. Why? Because people are coming on Easter and Christmas. Here is my question: Have we adapted Easter/Christmas people to be that way because the rest of our services are just a paper plate restaurant. Scoffers will say, "but it is resurrection Sunday!" Isn't every Sunday resurrection Sunday? The Book of Acts said the Christians in Antioch celebrated on the first day of the week because of the resurrection.

My point is why aren't we doing an "Easter" service every Sunday. Pastors will tell their congregations to give the first fruits (tithes) to the church, but we take one Sunday to put our best foot forward. Churches pray more, prepare more, practice more and give more than any other Sunday. Critics will say, "But more people are coming that Sunday!" And I say you are offering them a red carpet service with all the bells and whistles only for them to come back and get nothing like they got the first time.
Begin the name calling. Vote me out. I am not saying not give gifts or don't do the other publicity stuff for Easter, however what I am saying is doing for 52 weeks and then maybe our Easter/Christmas people might be 52ers.  If Easter is your best, then do it for the rest...of the year.

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