Post-Easter

It's Monday morning-in Salem, OR. I spent last night with my daughter in her apartment in Salem, driving to Salem after an intensely busy Easter morning. the Sunrise Service was wonderful, and our Worship Time was filled with grace and peace. However...(you knew that was coming, didn't you...) I am challenged by a couple of things I observed yesterday. First, over the past few years I have noticed that attendance at our Sunrise Service is down from the high's of about 8 or 10 years ago. Some might wonder if this is indicative of a lack of vibrancy and vitality among beleiver. I think not. What is happening is a generational shift. My parents and my generation grew up with Easter being recognized - even by secular society-as a Christian holiday. I seem to recall being out of school on Good Friday, and spring break was often scheduled around Easter. We no longer live in a culture that acknolwedges the Christian links with Easter. So it appears to me that some who no longer attend such services are simply choosing to sleep in- and perhaps just being honest and admitting that they don't believe in all this religious stuff anyway. Now, our Sunrise Service attendance is still strong- somewhere around 300 people attended our community service- so that's not a bad number for our community. But one does wonder if it is time to re-invest meaning and significance around the Easter holiday. It appears that we have lost the battle with our culture to keep the significance of Easter. So, it's not the cutlure's fault, and probably not the fault of any specific person. So, instead of trying to assess blame, let's seek God's wisdon on re-investing Easter with its true significance.
The other observation I want to share is related. Ten years ago we could expect a significant attendance bump on Easter Sunday. The past couple of years we have not noticed the significant bump in attendance, but I have noticed that the guests who do attend on Easter are more intensely serious about seeking spiritual truth. In our community anway some who habitually attended Easter and Christmas but had no real spiritual interest have stopped attending these services. Again, maybe they are simply reflecting their honest sense of unbelief. Those guests who do attend, however, seem to be ready to have spritual discussions and willing to hear truth.
Anyway- Enjoy the grace and peace of God!
Steve