I love Easter Sunday. The church is usually more crowded than usual, with the congregation, especially children, dressed in their spring finery. The church is decorated with flowers and Easter lilies, the choir sings its best songs, the pastor delivers an outstanding sermon, and everyone feels joyful. Anyone visiting or attending infrequently would be eager to return the next Sunday, but when they do, something feels different. The church is less full, the floral decorations are gone, the choir may not be singing that week or may not sound as good, and a substitute preacher might be preaching instead of the pastor. It seems like a completely different place. What has happened in just one week?
Why can’t every Sunday be like Easter? We worship a living God who sent His Son to suffer and die for us and rose three days later so that we can have life through Him. Every Sunday should celebrate this incredible reality. In fact, every morning we wake should be a celebration. We can either groan, “Good God, it’s morning,” or look out, see the sun rising, and say, “Good morning, God! Thank you for giving us another day to serve You!”
I will admit that I can sometimes be a bit of a groaner. My college roommate, Ronny, who is an eternal optimist and a joyful Christian, would wake up on weekends and come over to my bed, saying, “Good morning, Bill! ‘This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!’” My response would often be to groan and search for something, like a shoe, to throw at him. It’s not that I lack joy; just give me some time to wake up first. After a little while, I’ll be happy to share in his joy.
Every morning is a new beginning, one we can use to serve God. There are people to witness to, individuals to help, work to be done, and opportunities to do all of this to the glory of God. So when we wake up in the morning, let’s embrace an attitude of serving Him, spending time in Scripture and prayer, and then going out into the world to fulfill that mission. And on Sundays, let us celebrate as if it were Easter—the morning of His resurrection.
“Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!”
Take care,
Bill R.
