An Easter Like No Other
/An empty sanctuary and recording Easter Sunday’s service a day early, leaving treats on my parents’ porch with a wave and no hugs, guilt about buying those treats from a local bakery and therefore shopping more than once this past week. This was indeed an Easter like no other I’ve ever experienced.
I have to admit to being relieved that Holy Week is over and that we’re returning to a less intense worship schedule, even as we continue to adjust to our ‘new normal’ of this pandemic. It was definitely a holy and meaningful journey in ways different from other years. This most busy time of the church year, with perhaps the most expectations, was heightened by the realities we face.
I’m tempted to coast a bit and get a reprieve, but at the same time I’m pumped and looking ahead. I keep wanting to check how many views our pre-recorded worship has gotten on youtube or what new comments have shown up on facebook or e-mail. Rather than people shaking your hand after worship or approaching with praise, questions or complaints, this is the new avenue for feedback. And it can be addicting and difficult to avoid comparison to others doing .similar things.
An e-mail I read yesterday from church leadership guru Carey Nieuwhof said that before the pandemic 8-15% of churches were growing. Today, that number has jumped to 49% and includes churches of all sizes. He cites the safety and anonymity of online worship as a huge part of this. People in this crisis who are seeking, questioning or hungering for the spiritual can experience church from home without feeling out of place or worrying if they’ll fit in or understand what’s happening. Carey argues that we should tap in to this potential growth.
Easter represents so many things, but in this time to me it is a powerful reminder that we are not in control but that God is. It is a reminder that Jesus went to the greatest of lengths to love us, despite us being undeserving of His sacrifice. It is a time of turning upside down how we normally do things, of righting wrongs, of startling revelations and of hope beyond death for eternity.
If we’re living as Easter people and if the church embraces this story that has arrived smack dab in the middle of a pandemic, it should change our perspective. We should be energized by the possibilities and the re-set we are being given. We should be like the disciples and Mary Magdalene, curious to see what can come out of devastation and where Jesus is in all of this. We should be attentive to what we are being taught in this crisis and what we are being asked to believe and how God is asking us to respond.
I’ve talked to a lot of people in the last few days, many of them seniors. The depth of faith I’ve found has inspired and moved me. Some have been struggling and are clearly anxious and worried, but most have grasped the meaning of Easter and that the church continues on despite perceived obstacles. In this year’s pared down Easter, the fluff has been stripped away and the essentials remain. What really matters can become clear if we’re paying attention.
We are all challenged in this time to capitalize on what room this opportunity creates for us to share the Good News in different ways and to reach out and still be the church in our communities. We can build momentum even though we aren’t physically together. Our online presence in particular can let people know that we are alive and well and ready to serve in the name of Christ.
This Easter like no other points out that it’s not about us or our gatherings or our traditions but more about our common story in the resurrection of Jesus. We can be resurrected as His people if we allow ourselves to be raised above our anxiety and worry and fear.
May we be a resurrection people, ready to trust in and share the Good News of what Jesus wants to do through us. Hallelujah! He is risen!