Last week's post, "The Key Problem With Holy Week", got me to thinking about the key problem with Easter. How can I say that there is a problem with Easter you ask? Okay, I for one do not have a problem with Easter, and that is why I go to church on Easter Sunday and as many other times during the year as I can. This week I am not talking about Easter Christians. I think they have a chance to get it, but probably won't. Rather, I am talking about the unchurched. These are the people who stay away from Easter Sunday services and who think that they know what they are missing.
Why would some willingly avoid church on Easter? Naturally they also never darken the church's door except perhaps for weddings and funerals. I can think of several reasons, but the key one is that a lot of people do not really believe that Jesus rose from the dead. They tolerate the Easter Bunny myth but not the eyewitness accounts of the Apostles.
The resurrection is as unbelievable today as it was back on the first Easter, perhaps even more so in our modern, scientific age. Everybody knows that when we die, our bodies start to rot. All the crime scene investigation television shows tell us so. Everybody knows that dead people stay dead. How can anyone who is convinced that dead men don't walk ever come to see that Jesus did just that?
I once attended an Episcopal sect Sunday school discussion during which the leader mocked me when I said that Bishop Spong was wrong, and that Jesus really did walk out of the tomb. This distinguished professor of Philosophy laughed and said, " You believe he was a walking cadaver!" I replied, "No, He was fully alive." No one in the room backed me up. That was when I realized that we had a problem in the Episcopal sect with finger crossing Christians. I had to quit that class and join the choir where we were permitted to profess our faith in song twice a week.
Finger crossing Christians show up on Easter, make lousy evangelists, and are a symptom of a dying denomination. The same disbelief of the physical resurrection of Jesus has to be the key problem that the unchurched stay at home.
If you deny the Resurrection, you have handcuffed God and you are telling Him, "No, no, you can't do that." Such a god is not the omnipotent Lord of Christianity. Once you create a limited god, you can pretty much turn him into whatever you want him to be.
The key problem with Easter is that many people can't seem to accept that there is a God who can do ANYTHING!
The job for us is to help them to see the truth of the Gospel story, walk with the unbeliever during their progress, and witness to them how we came to believe this impossible sounding story.
Why would some willingly avoid church on Easter? Naturally they also never darken the church's door except perhaps for weddings and funerals. I can think of several reasons, but the key one is that a lot of people do not really believe that Jesus rose from the dead. They tolerate the Easter Bunny myth but not the eyewitness accounts of the Apostles.
The resurrection is as unbelievable today as it was back on the first Easter, perhaps even more so in our modern, scientific age. Everybody knows that when we die, our bodies start to rot. All the crime scene investigation television shows tell us so. Everybody knows that dead people stay dead. How can anyone who is convinced that dead men don't walk ever come to see that Jesus did just that?
I once attended an Episcopal sect Sunday school discussion during which the leader mocked me when I said that Bishop Spong was wrong, and that Jesus really did walk out of the tomb. This distinguished professor of Philosophy laughed and said, " You believe he was a walking cadaver!" I replied, "No, He was fully alive." No one in the room backed me up. That was when I realized that we had a problem in the Episcopal sect with finger crossing Christians. I had to quit that class and join the choir where we were permitted to profess our faith in song twice a week.
Finger crossing Christians show up on Easter, make lousy evangelists, and are a symptom of a dying denomination. The same disbelief of the physical resurrection of Jesus has to be the key problem that the unchurched stay at home.
If you deny the Resurrection, you have handcuffed God and you are telling Him, "No, no, you can't do that." Such a god is not the omnipotent Lord of Christianity. Once you create a limited god, you can pretty much turn him into whatever you want him to be.
The key problem with Easter is that many people can't seem to accept that there is a God who can do ANYTHING!
The job for us is to help them to see the truth of the Gospel story, walk with the unbeliever during their progress, and witness to them how we came to believe this impossible sounding story.
Posts
Happy Easter Pewster.
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter Dale!
DeleteThe Lord is risen!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing to me the number of people who will believe almost anything on Twitter, but they consider the eyewitness accounts in the New Testament as "myth." They don't want to believe it, Pewster. If they believed, it would change their lives. They don't want to change their lives.
Good point.
DeleteAs a "retired" priest with 10 yrs with TEC and 15 in the Continuum, I confess that I no longer attend church. Those who find spiritual nourishment there more power to them. My wife and I hold fast to "when two or three are gathered". We believe in the Resurrection and Love God. We find temporal church communities rarely do and if they so profess they do not understand what it means. TEC has become a Marxist social welfare/justice club. The new prayer books have watered down or removed the catholic faith of the Fathers. Many laity and clergy profess a syncretic mush that cherry picks beliefs with the understanding that God loves them no matter what they do. SIN (and hell) no longer exist. Confession is no longer necessary or prayed? Saying the offices at home suffices for us. Day by Day. The Lord is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
ReplyDelete"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Hebrews 10:25.
DeleteA faith community is where we are provided the opportunity to serve, pray for and care for others. As a 73 year old priest, I don't believe one ever retires. I could not, not preach the Gospel and celebrate as long as I am physically able. Singing the Exultet again at Easter Vigil this year was a great privilege and joy.
CanonJohn3+,
ReplyDeleteI don't know about your neck of the woods, but here in South Carolina we are fortunate to have church communities that are keeping the faith and preaching the word. Granted, I have to drive 35 minutes to my new Anglican family. The finding of a family of faithful believers is a blessing. They even do the daily offices! No family is without its faults however. Now, if they can just improve the music... ;-)
Pewter, you post so often about the problems in TEC and with the newer lectionary that I did not know you have found an acceptable Anglican parish. This is good news! I am sixteen miles from my parish church, and we have parishioners who drive an hour or more to reach us. We were packed for the main service yesterday. What a joy!
DeleteLove your columns and your witness. Having served in TEC Upper South Carolina and NC, I agree that faith and worship in the South is more vibrant and authentic. In the frozen chosen North, it is a different story. We are always open to God's Providence as to where to worship. Thus far no strong direction from above. We are content. The 1940 hymnal and Mass settings still work for us. A blessed 50 days!
ReplyDeleteI’ve found my iPad my best Liturgical friend. S, Thomas 5th Avenue has a nice webcast almost daily. The BBC offers weekly Evensong as you all know.
ReplyDeleteThere are recordings of older services on the internet. I recently heard a very interesting service from Ireland. Almost everything was chanted except for the lections. I’ve only read about this, but it was quite instructive to hear it.
For my exotic tastes there’s the FSSP in France, the Russians in DC, and the Greeks in Jerusalem. The Orthodox nuns in PA offer almost daily services in English.
I’m sure I’ve only scratched the surface on the list of internet possibilities.