Easter 2020 will go down as the most unusual in my life thus far. With the mandated Shelter-in-Place, churches will find a way to creatively celebrate the most important event in human history. But even the most creative presentations will be so different.
I hope to give us a positive perspective on a most unusual Easter.
Easter 2020 Sundays (plural)
For most if us the thought of not being at church on Easter Sunday seems almost sacrilegious. But to the first century church, EVERY SUNDAY was Easter. Remember that most of Jesus’ early followers came from the Jewish faith. Saturday worship was their custom. Saturday was their Sabbath.
But Jesus’ resurrection changed that. The Book of Acts describes groups of believers gathering on “the first day of the week.” For them Sunday was the first day. They made it a practice to meet regularly on Sunday so that on a weekly basis they celebrated the Resurrection. By the 4th Century, church leaders mandated that the Church meet on Sunday.
At our church, we will celebrate the Resurrection on the very first Sunday we resume public meetings. Regardless of the date on the calendar, THAT Sunday will be our Easter Sunday. Easter is not limited to a single date on a man-made calendar.
Easter 2020 Attendance
We joke about the fact that some people only attend church on Easter Sunday. While I wish they would attend more often, I am thankful they are there that day. But with the building empty, how will that affect Easter attendance.
I believe we will see the best attendance ever this year. We, like most churches, will have an online Easter service in some form or fashion. That video presentation has the potential to be shared and viewed by infinitely more people than usual.
If your church has an online service, share the daylights out of it all over social media. The Gospel will reach into more homes electronically than otherwise possible.
At best, most churches have an Easter service available for a few hours over one day. Some may even have Saturday night services, but most only on Sunday. People can view an online service on any day, at any time as long as the video remains online.
Conclusion
The early church had no special Easter practices as far as we know. They celebrated the Resurrection every week on Sunday. I’m not sure when we started limiting our Resurrection celebrations to only one Sunday a year. In fact, if we are not careful we focus more on the production that on the truth it represents.
So this year, maybe doing things differently will emphasize more the substance of Easter. Without the pageantry and trappings of Easter formality, we are free to focus on the Resurrected Lord. No distractions of fancy clothes, raised expectations, and heightened formality. Just us and a resurrected Lord.
I pray the weirdness of this Easter will produce a more meaningful celebration for you and yours. Remember, while church services may be different, the truth is the same. He is RISEN! He is risen INDEED!