Easter Pressure

This Sunday, Easter Sunday, many Pastors will be feeling the pressure to deliver a sermon that will reach the masses, and hopefully bring people back. The idea is that many visitors will be present on holidays like Christmas and Easter that otherwise would not be. So if the Pastor hits a home-run, people will come back the next week, and more likely, stay long-term.

Obviously, this isn't quite accurate. In fact, Lifeway Research has found (see article linked at bottom) that most churches only get their occassional attenders (those who attend one or two times per month) on Easter Sunday instead of the visitors that many think are there. So the Easter crowd...is actually filled with unfaithful church attenders. Certainly a great holiday for everyone to show up.

As a Pastor, I believe our job is to be faithful to the Word... regardless of who's there. Using gimics to get people will only necessitate more to keep them. How you get people is how you will have to keep people. If Christ is the focus, and His Word the motivation, then transformation will be the result.

So Pastors...don't put pressure on yourself. Preach the risen Christ and let Christ do His resurection work in the lives of the people who enter your church's doors. Call everyone to deeper commitments.

For a great article on CEO (Christmas/Easter Only) Christians by Thom Rainer click here

Haiti: The End

Haiti Missions Team Friday:

It's hard to believe that the end is near. It has been an amazing week of ministry and service for the gospel. God has indeed blessed in abundance the work through the team. It has been an absolute honor to serve the people of Haiti.

Today was a day to tour the city of Port-au-Prince and spend some time of relaxation. Though I must be honest, this day may have only increased the effect on our lives.

We were able to go to the heart of Port-au-Prince and see the major devastion caused by the earthquake. There are tent cities (or refugee camps) all over the place. Mind you 1.5 million people lost their home during the quake. With no where to go people have been given tents by foreign governments (most from the US) to live in any space they can find. Even the collapsed Presidential Palace (seen on the left), can barely be noticed by the thousands of tents just outside it's gates.

But the moment that grips us to tears, even now if I think about it long enough, was going to the poorest area of the city. When Pastor Luc said that we were going to the poorest area I thought, "Could it get any worse?" Wow...were we shocked to see the area. There are literally 100,000 people in this area that live in tents or tin houses. Trash was everywhere...the stench was unbearable...and people were depressed beyond despair. We were choked up just driving through. We stopped along the side of the road and was able to visit a church that Pastor Luc started in this area. The church is known less for the worship, than it is for the location near the major source of food for these poor people. Just to the side of the church building, people were making mud cookies. Yes...you heard that right...mud cookies. Mud, salt, and butter. We watched these people making thousands of cookies out of mud (you can see some of the work on the right). And this was seen as a luxury.

We honestly felt bad for even going there. We felt we embarrased these people. I mean I always heard the joke, "God made dirt and dirt don't hurt!" Except for these people... it is what they eat for breakfast, or lunch, or dinner. The reality is the only thing that are norms in this are malnutrition and death.

In spite of the difficulty of work, and the burden of the task, the team has had an absolutely fantastic time together laughing and talking about life and Christ. As we were sitting at dinner tonight (at the compound), we were having this exact discussion. We came to serve the people of Haiti...but in the process, we became a band of brothers. I know that may sound cliche, but seriously, this has been an amazing opportunity to build into the lives of each other. Each part of the team added greatly to God's plan on this trip. And to each of them I say, "Thank you!"

Honestly, we are ready to come home...but definitely changed because of it. We will never look at rice and beans...or cookies the same again. Our faith has been challenged and built. We have been broken at times and encouraged greatly at times. We came to Haiti to be the hands and feet of Christ...we leave Haiti having seen Christ.