Revitalize Your Church

A Holy Saturday poem by John Keble.  Be sure to read the first lines of the last stanza: AT length the worst is o’er, and Thou art laid Deep in thy darksome bed; All still and cold beneath you dreary stone Thy sacred form is gone; Around those lips where power and mercy hung, The dews of death have clung; The dull earth o’er Thee, and thy foes around, Thou sleep’st a silent corse, in funeral fetters wound. Sleep’st Thou indeed? or is thy spirit fled, At large among the dead? Whether in Eden bowers thy welcome voice Wake Abraham to rejoice, Or in some drearier scene thine eye controuls The thronging band of souls; That, as thy blood won earth, thine agony Might set the shadowy realm from sin and sorrow free. Where’er Thou roam’st, one happy soul, we know, Seen at thy side in woe, Waits on thy triumph—even as all the blest With him and thee shall rest. Each on his cross, by Thee we hang a while, Watching thy patient smile, Till we have...

Mark Batterson calls what pastors experience the day after Easter a "Holy Hangover."  Most ministers can relate to that feeling.  In light of this, let me share a story from my book, Filled Up, Poured Out. Just Wait Till Tomorrow A few years ago, after the last of four exhilarating Easter worship services, I turned to my elder associate, Pastor Ben, and joyfully proclaimed, “Isn’t this fabulous? I can’t imagine it getting any better! Being a pastor is pure joy!” Pastor Ben grinned wryly and replied, “Just wait till tomorrow.” Sure enough, Monday was another story. Pastoral counselor, Arch Hart, calls Monday, “adrenaline letdown day.” Another pastor talked about “Bread Truck Mondays”, when the fantasy of delivering bread is far more appealing than continuing in the pastorate. That Easter Monday, problems sprang up everywhere. I had to deal with a leadership squabble, a budget challenge, a marriage crisis, and a swarm of other difficulties. I called Pastor ...

Waken, sleeping butterflies, Burst your narrow prison! Spread your golden wings and rise, For the Lord is risen! -- Easter Song by Mary A. Lathbury

My friend, Wendy, teaches college in California and is earning her doctorate at my alma mater, Fuller Theological Seminary. This week, she sent me this delightful message regarding the earthquake they experienced on Easter Sunday: Pastor Mark: As you can imagine, all the talk around the water coolers and in the grocery store lines here is about Sunday's earthquake. In the middle of Trader Joe's in my town a woman cried out gleefully, "Oh, my! When the house started shaking I thought to myself. . . 'Hallelujah! Christ is coming back on Easter Sunday!!!---and then I found myself so disappointed when it stopped!'" You don't hear Christ's name mentioned too often in southern California so this comment just made my day!!!

Small Town Pastor, Stephen Kingsley, Answers Atheist's Easter Challenge Kingsley's Website

Click on Picture to Enlarge

My dear friend, Ed Kleinhammer , a "Living Legend" who played trombone for the Chicago Symphany Orchestra, stopped by my office around Easter time a couple of years ago. He had a question for me. "Pastor, I am writing an article for the International Trombone Journal, and I'm focusing on Mahler's Symphony #2 -- Resurrection!" "Whenever I hear this beautiful masterpiece it feels like Easter, and a little foretaste of heaven.", he continued, "That's where I need your advice." "Do you think it would be appropriate to call Easter "a keyhole peek into heaven?" "You're FABULOUS, Ed! Yes! It's a keyhole peek into Heaven! I'm going to use that one on Easter Sunday!" experience the symphony here. and here -- the grand finale. Aufersteh'n, ja aufersteh'n Wirst du, Mein Staub, Nach kurzer Ruh'! Unsterblich Leben! Unsterblich Leben wird der dich rief dir geben! Rise again, yes, rise again, Will yo...

This morning, I finished a good book by Carol Kent, When I Lay My Isaac Down: Unshakable Faith in Unthinkable Circumstances. It's the story of how she processed the terrible news that her 25 year old son had shot and killed a man. It is a good encouragement for anybody suffering through painful and perplexing experiences -- particularly, in regard to their children. The best thought I found was a question: Are you living closer to Good Friday or Easter Sunday?

Insightful post by Keith Drury

My new buddy from South Carolina, Phil, reported that they had more than twice the number people in their church last Sunday than their entire town's population!! Do you know of any other churches that can make that claim?? Best of all, sixteen people invited Jesus Christ to be their Savior and Lord. Congratulations to Pastor Phil and good people of Pelzer Wesleyan Church!

The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) is 2228 -- only 220 years to go!! Thanks to my Auzzie friend, Mark Edwards , for this helpful piece of information.

What's a good cure for a Minister's Easter post-partum blues? Here's how I handled it. Yesterday, I went paintballing with 26 middle schoolers!

We had a fabulous Easter at Hayward Wesleyan Church. 1154 people attended four services. Several people opened their lives to Christ! Now, it's all quiet. Everybody has left the building, and I'm all alone: weary but content, in the empty church. This afternoon, the kids and I will deliver Easter lillies to shut ins, and maybe while we're gone, the Easter Bunny will show up at our house! Question: What did the Easter bunny bring me? Answer: 500 people I haven't seen since Christmas Eve.

He's Alive!