Easter Is a Great Time to Jump In!!

Why do so many people, even in the south, just come to church on Easter.  It could be that their only identification with the Lord is the crucifixion and the resurrection story.  It’s what I like to call “getting your toes wet” but not jumping totally in the water.  When I was a young lad my family had a lot on Spring River in northern Arkansas.  On that lot we could camp, and use it as a place to swim in Spring River (which year around is about 58 degrees).  The most fun for me at the start of the year was jumping into the river by running as hard as I could and going in all at once.  Of course, the shock was very real as the 58 degree water hit my body.  Usually a very loud “oh my goodness” would force it’s way through my teeth and I would immediately come up and say, “C’mon in.  The water is great!”  To which the others in our family would say, “You are crazy!”  Then I would watch as some of them would approach the water at the bank and stick their foot in and say, “no way!”   Basically their big toe was telling the rest of their body to stay out of the water because it sensed it was too cold.  Most of the time the message sent by the big toe was well received, so they would not swim at all, and I ended up swimming by myself.

You may say, “sounds like their big toe was smart!”  To which I would reply, it just kept them from enjoying the water.  No swimming because of a lack of faith and a lack of want to.  Those people who attend church only on Easter is kind of the same scenario as the river story.  They are sticking their big toe in but not willing to totally immerse themselves in the “church thing.”  They begin to feel like they want to come to church on Easter, but that is it.  Their church life is on hold until the next year.  So they go about the rest of the year watching others participate in their faith and never immersing themselves in the action of serving and ministering through the local church.  Of course, we give them information about things that are going on, asking them to reconsider, but they think it is too much of a shock for their lifestyle.   So they stay on the shore and never get to “swim.”  Sad, because the water IS so great and the fellowship is so awesome.  So, what do we who are in the church (water) do?  We keep on serving (swimming), and we continue to invite them to try it out.  Every year, without missing, I would jump in to the river and then invite the others to jump in also.  Why?  Because it was more fun to get them to swim and then spend time together.   In church life we should do the same thing.  Keep serving and keep inviting.  Never stop!!!  This year is no different.  We are going to have a great time of celebration on April 5 at 11:00 a.m. and it will be a great time to invite someone, once again, to try church out.  I can assure you your efforts to get others to come to our services will not be a waste of time.  You will give them the opportunity to hear some great music and hear the Word of God preached in a very special Easter message.  Of course, every year we are going to invite them to jump in!!   They may say no, but they may say yes.  Lifting up the name of Jesus is always worth the effort and the sacrifice.  Happy Easter!!  He is risen!!!   He is risen, Indeed!!

The Pilgrimage continues

David Warren