Easter Service....or...Church Feeding Frenzy?

Ok, I have had it, and I'm gonna spill the beans (as if you don't already know).

YOU are being targeted.

You are being lured in by cantatas, multi-media presentations, re-enactments designed to make you cry, Easter egg hunts, and even cash prizes. Church leadership across the country is drooling over the possibility of new checks in the offering plate, and more seats being filled.  Has the simple story of the love of Jesus really come to this? In a world where Christmas is often accused of being the big overcommercialized holiday, Easter is rapidly becoming just as much of a drool-fest for promoters-only this time the church itself is at the core of the commercialization.

First of all, I really feel the need to apologize....because I myself was once at the core of how-can-we-get-more-butts-in-the-seats meetings, before I went through the crucible that left me totally destroyed....and in love with Jesus, and appalled at some of the ways I have misrepresented God's beautiful and deep love for us, and the way that Jesus got to know people---through relationships, not a cheap commercial. 

His yoke is easy, His burden is light....so why did I spend so many years killing myself to put on multimedia extravaganzas that at best, created some warm fuzzies and a few tears, but at worst burned people out, misrepresented who we really were, and attempted to manipulate other's emotions? All promoted by a media-blitz rivaling a used car-lot's end of season sales push. So what changed?

I have discovered love. I have discovered grace. I have discovered Jesus, and He wasn't where or what I quite thought. I REALLY started to know the character of Jesus in the seasons of life, oddly enough, where the externals were stripped away and I was left, barely breathing, wondering how I would get through the day. It has been in the deserts, in the personal conversations, in the discussions, in the introspective times, in the hanging around together, breaking bread, in the walking through things that were WAY too big for me to handle; THOSE are the places I have come face to face with my Creator, and literally found Him to be more than enough.

There is a funny thing happening at the gathering I currently regularly go to....for Easter, we purposefully decided to make it just like any other service...there is some new music, and a couple of girls who do spectacular ballet on pointe will perform, but there is NO media blitz, NO bait-and-switch of one event that is really just fancy advertising for the Sunday service, NO fancy cantata, NO mailing, NO newspaper ad, NO radio ad, and nothing that is inconsistent with the things that just naturally flow from the people who like to do things there.

Will there be music? Yes, but it has NOT been chosen to maximize visitor auditory pleasure, it's just songs done by some people who are gifted at music that sing about God that this particular group of people happen to like singing.

Is there  a message? Yes, but it is a thoughtful in-depth study about the Bible and history and how we are all negotiating life, and has NOT been chosen according to how quickly it can bring people to tears over what happened to Jesus.

Is it perfect? NO. and actually now, it's OK for me not to be perfect. For a song to fall flat. For the media to get hung up and leave people chatting while the computer reboots. Not that this will happen, it's just that no one's neck is on the line if it does, because.... we actually *GASP* care about one another, in spite of our flaws.

The reason I bother even showing up this weekend myself--is because I look forward to seeing my adopted family, this group of people who walk through life together and choose to meet together at regular times, sing songs together, learn about God and life together, eat together, and just simply hang around together, OBLIGATION FREE. I just wanna go, it's pretty fun and I can sense the spirit of love and the Spirit of God flowing actively and organically amongst this group of people. And, if someone new happens to drop by, and really feels like this is the group of God-followers is who they have been looking for to walk through life with, then so be it, they are welcome to join this gathering, but I will NOT pressure anyone to stay with us, and I refuse to treat this Sunday as the "Super-Bowl" of Christianity, when I know darn well that God walks with anyone who wants Him in their life each day.

So, no longer will I use the crucifixion as a method to guilt people into the Kingdom
No long will I use the Easter bump in attendance to consider how we can get the increase in numbers to stay
No longer will I put on presentations that burn out the musicians I work with

what I WILL do is show up this week, play tunes with some great friends, listen to a message I am really looking forward to that is going to involve Plato and Homer and history and Jesus....and watch some cool dancing, and hang around with friends I love, and probably meet some new people, and live out the Gospel, the GOOD news....

His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.

I am so thankful  for this simple message, and so happy that I now live an abundant and free life. The pressure is gone.

I am indeed the music director at a church, but I have been spoiled by grace and....

I will sleep just fine Saturday night.