My Last Easter Service
April 13, 2009 by churchless
Filed under Institutional Church, Making the Transition, Sunday Meetings
Yesterday, I attended the church where I have been on staff for several years. All of the church elders were out of town, so they had asked me to lead the service. When I agreed to the date a few weeks ago, I didn’t realize it was Easter Sunday. A slight oversight on my part, but it didn’t kill me. Sometimes you just have to make the most of a bad situation, so I opened in prayer, gave the announcements, introduced the speaker, led the congregation in participating in the Lord’s Supper, and closed in prayer…without using the “E” word one time.
You see, we gave up Christmas and Easter about twenty years ago; at least, trying to celebrate these two holidays as “holy days” or Christian festivals. Our family enjoys the secular aspects of Christmas and Easter—like trimming the tree and the house, stockings on the mantle, chocolate bunnies, malted milk balls, and Easter egg hunts for the kids—but we quit celebrating the manger scene and the empty tomb once a year. Mixing the secular and the sacred just didn’t work for us; besides, we couldn’t find any commands or examples in the New Testament where the early church established and observed these annual festivals. Instead, we try to express our wonder and thanksgiving at these two realities, the humility of Christ’s incarnation and the glory of His resurrection, every day of our lives.
It felt good knowing it would be my last Easter service in the institutional church (IC), because I’m only a few weeks away from leaving it all behind. By the first of June, I will be truly “churchless.” I’m just hoping that I can be a voice, perhaps even a friend, to those who are bailing out of the institutional church. Not that I have all the answers to a life outside institutional religion, but just to say “It’s okay to walk with Jesus and others outside the box,” and “It’s going to be alright, even though others may not understand our decision.”
Several people told me after yesterday’s service that it was a meaningful time for them, especially the Lord’s Supper, where I explained the difference between a memorial remembrance of Jesus’ death and a mystical sacrament with meritorious grace being transferred to the participant. I read from 1 Corinthians where Paul warns of partaking of the elements of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner, yet recognizing that there’s a huge difference between that and feeling unworthy to come to the table. The Lord’s Supper is for the very worst of us because it reminds us that our salvation does not rest upon what we have done, but what He has done for us. Like the old hymn, “nothing in my hands I bring; simply to the cross I cling.”
Very well done Churchless! Welcome to the wilds…thanks for pointing out the difference between a “memorial service” for Jesus and meritorious grace being transferred to the participant. What say you about the IC’s “anti-anger mindset” that has nullified so many countless Christians…?
Thanks for the comments, Dave. If you’re referring to the wussification of Christians, I see it everywhere, not just inside the IC. Maybe you should explain what you mean before I get on my soapbox.
Yes! The ‘clipping of the cajones’ part of Christianity. I also believe that element is everywhere. Even among most free believers.
One of our beloved brothers who writes about following Him has said, “…you simply live loved, or you don’t…” Now, we can certainly get our hearts around that and he is correct. However, getting our heads to agree with our hearts is sometimes problematic. What part of “living loved” allows anger without perpetuating the “don’t ever get angry” mentality? Please, hop up on your soapbox as I appreciate any Christian who does his/her best to remain “real” with the rest of us.
What happened churchless…? Did you ‘cave’ me on your forum? I’ll withdraw the question.
No, I’ve just been so busy that I haven’t had time to catch my breath. Getting ready to make the plunge into the deeper waters outside the shallows of institutional religion.
Have you written or addressed this issue before? If so, please send me a link. I would love to read what you have to say!
Hi churchless! No, I haven’t written on anything…I’m not skilled in that area. I have read about the terrible lonliness and doubt that believers go through after they leave congregations. Something I’m working through myself after several years since leaving the IC. Without a pastor, other Christians (who openly shun us) and a ‘ministry’ to validate our walk with Him, many of us wonder at times if we did the right thing by leaving the IC.
Speaking for myself only, I’m convinced I did do the right thing. What is amazing to me is how ingrained “modern Christianity” with ‘traditions’ has affected nearly every single one of us who seek God’s best. Now that we are out in the wild, so to speak, we either have to learn to completely trust Him in our daily walk, or we don’t. Paul said, “…we were called to freedom…” and to me that means we are free to ask questions now that religious performance has been tossed aside for His grace.
The ‘appropriate anger’ question above is valid to me as I do believe God is Love. However, in total honesty, as I do my best to follow Him, there are a few people I know who I would like to see fail because I’ve seen them hurt people with deadly gossip that impacts entire families in our community. Now, in my heart I know God loves them too, but I do have “anger’ in my heart for them. Any thoughts…?
I hope its okay, but I feel like my real freedom in Christ is expressible without a lot of fear or limitations. I don’t have to screen things. Spending a day or a period of time along with by fellow believers in celebrating Easter or Christmas hardly stops me from doing so in other ways throughout the year.
To me, its just as confining to have all these self-imposed rules on how or where one may do this or that when its confining oneself to being outside or inside.
Or to say that if its not written down in the NT or first century documents I must not do it.
Its just a different set of rules. That is all.