One of the many things that sets the followers of Jesus apart from the world around us is Easter itself. For the secular world, Easter is a destination event filled with eggs and bunnies and an excuse to buy some new clothes. All of these, like Christmas cards and Valentine chocolates, go on sale the moment the event is over. For followers of Jesus, Easter isn’t a destination—it’s a lifestyle.
A few decades ago, Richard Avery and Donald Marsh, a pastor and a church musician, wrote songs to inspire mid-century Protestants, who they saw beginning to lose focus and steam, to remember who they were and find joy in church again. One of these songs begins:
Ev’ry morning is Easter morning from now on!
Ev’ry day’s resurrection day, the past is over and gone!
While I was never a huge Avery & Marsh fan, I know a good earworm when I meet one (I’m remembering this 50 years later after all), and the message, in this case, is spot on:
Goodbye guilt, goodbye fear, good riddance! Hello Lord, Hello sun!
I am one of the Easter People! My new life has begun!
Daily news is so bad it seems the Good News seldom gets heard.
Get it straight from the Easter People: God’s in charge! Spread the word!
—fromEvery Morning Is Easter Morning
A significantly more serious mid-century theologian, Karl Barth, wrote that the Church of Jesus Christ has only one mission and only one message entrusted to it by God: to proclaim the Good News given to us without hesitation or accommodation. When we cease to do this, Barth believed, we cease to be the Church. I’m pretty sure this is what Jesus meant when he told his disciples, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). What does that mean for you and me?
For one thing, it answers a question tens of thousands of Christians were probably asking a week ago Sunday: “What does this Resurrection we celebrate today have to do with my life tomorrow?” Answer: Everything. The Resurrection that defines our Easter has everything to do with our daily lives. The Resurrection redefines who we are—reminding us that we are people for whom this life and the grave aren’t the end of anything. The Resurrection rearranges our priorities—reminding us that in Christ we have everything we need, including the freedom to be joyfully abundant in sharing our life, our resources, and our compassion with others. The Resurrection redefines our future—reminding us that God, in Jesus Christ, for no other reason than his amazing, undeserved love for us, has drained the power of anything in this world that could try to threaten or intimidate us—up to and including death itself.
That’s the Easter message. So, now on to Mothers’ Day, graduations, Memorial Day, weddings… No! Please no. We have to keep the “alleluias” of Easter morning coming, week in and week out in our worship, so that the reality of the Resurrection becomes a daily reality in our lives.
We can start with the music we choose. There’s so much great Resurrection music, isn’t it sad to limit it to one weekend? But because Easter is our core identity and not just a one-off, why not include at least one Easter hymn or song every Sunday, at least between now and Pentecost? The Resurrection can also be the focus of anthems and other special music, prayers, scripture—all the elements of worship. I know some congregations that overtly celebrate Easter every week of the year.
But even more, why not let the reality and the joy of the Resurrection give you and your people a new attitude toward life as well as ministry? Let the life-shaping message of the living Christ be your influencer as you meet the challenges of each day and make plans for the coming months. As you look forward to summer Sundays, you need to unwind and catch your breath. But don’t let your Resurrection joy take a vacation—use the summer weeks to reinforce personal relationships with the people in your choirs and on your teams. Take advantage of a different schedule to spend time with the people leading worship. Offer special music. Nurture their personal faith and joy. You can do it. You’re one of the Easter People—your new life has begun too!
None of this is meant to be a gimmick—Six Steps to a Happier Church. All of this is meant to remind all of us that we do indeed have Good News that is never heard enough. This is God’s world. The Church is God’s project. We are God’s people—people whom God loved so much that he sent his Son to restore our relationship with him. The Resurrection defines who we are and how we live. Every morning is Easter morning from now on! Our world needs to be reminded of this—needs to hear this message urgently and to experience the reality of God’s love as they encounter us. Let’s each do everything we can to keep Easter’s alleluias coming!
