The Monday after Easter is filled with joy for pastors. We had the opportunity to preach to packed sanctuaries and auditoriums and to see people we have not seen in a while. There were grandchildren and friends from out of town. There were new clothes and pictures. And, there were several people in most congregations who had not attended a church service in quite a while. We had loads of new faces this Easter!
If that is you, I am so glad you were with us (or wherever you were), and I hope you come back. Contrary to what you may believe, most of the people in your church service on Easter did not judge you because you have been out of church for a while. They were just thrilled you came.
If Easter 2024 was the first time you ever attended a worship service, no one was laughing because you felt awkward, most people didn’t even notice that you felt awkward. They noticed the Word of God that was preached and the songs that were sang, and they noticed new people who showed up to worship Jesus. They were not staring at you, except maybe to try and remember where they’ve seen you before or to figure out if they knew your name so they could say hi–or if you attended a great church in the south, to give you a handshake and a hug.
If you attended a good church (and most of them are), then lots of people have actually been praying for you before you ever showed up. They were praying for the “unchurched” people who would show up on Easter. In fact, over the past several weeks, many followers of Christ have been actively praying for lots of broken and messed up people to show up to worship on Easter Sunday. If you are one of those broken or messed up people, you’ve been prayed for. They didn’t pray because they were judging you, they prayed for you because they were once broken and messed up, but they discovered hope and healing in Jesus and his church. They prayed for you, because they want you (even if they don’t know you) to discover the same hope and healing they now live in every day.
If you attended a worship service on Easter for the first time in a long time or even for the first time ever, don’t wait so long for the next time. We loved having you. Please come back. It is our joy and privilege and it is the will and desire of our Jesus to welcome you into his church.
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
