It Was THE Manic Monday...

Yesterday I was joking on Twitter about what the disciples were doing on the afternoon of the resurrection. I suggested they probably had to attend a committee meeting; a friend countered with the hilarious yet poignant reminder that they would have needed to elect a new treasurer to replace Judas. That started me thinking about what that afternoon- and the day that followed- were like for the remaining 11 disciples. And those thoughts brought me to this one. I grew up in North Carolina, where the official state holiday for Easter was always Easter Monday. When I was young, it meant a day off from school and and so I never questioned it. But as I grew older I found this tradition to be quite strange. There are 6 weeks of Lent, including Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Goof Friday and the actual celebration of Easter. Yet for some reason they used an extra day to invent an official holiday on which to acknowledge this high holy day. Easter Monday.

As I think back on that from this point in my life, I see it all differently. What actually happened on the first Easter Monday? What was going on in the lives of the people in Jerusalem as word spread that the tomb was empty and Jesus had been spotted walking about? I have a feeling it effected people in very different ways. But with apologies to The Bangles, this was not just another manic Monday. This was the MANIC MONDAY! Consider the following possibilities...

* The Jewish leaders had to be more nervous than a censor at rap concert. Their Roman overlords had given them the "Jesus Problem" to deal with, and then crucified him at their request. This rumor that he was still alive and ready to cause more trouble for the Empire was bound to bring down the full wrath of Caesar on the Pharisees if they didn't put an end to it quickly. Heads were going to roll. And you just KNOW that Pilate was getting a major "I told you so!" from his wife.

* The disciples had to be more confused than usual. They believed he was resurrected; they had seen him, touched him, talked with him. But given their track record, I have to believe that they had no idea yet what it meant. Was Jesus finally going to throw the Romans out? Would they keep traveling around as a team, with Jesus teaching and them providing support? And most of them had deserted him when things got tough. Did he even like them anymore? They had probably not been that confused since the Master started doodling in the sand...

* The Roman guards had to be miserable. You can just hear their statements to the TMZ reporters of the day. "Of course he was dead. We wouldn't have taken him down if he wasn't dead. We're not idiots!" And then from the guards at the tomb- "We never left our posts, and that boulder we put in front of the entrance was enormous! It's not our fault! What were we supposed to do, tell the freakin' angels not to move the rock?" I am sure if it happened today either President Obama, aliens or Kanye West would be blamed. And it would probably be Kanye's fault...

* And then there were the average citizens- people like you and I. The ones who yelled "Hosanna" on Palm Sunday and "Crucify him!" a few days later. How did they respond on Easter Monday? As the stories spread that this man Jesus had beaten death, did they believe or treat it like a National Enquirer headline? Were his radical teachings about peace, love and forgiveness suddenly more than just words, or was he still just another wacko street preacher? Were they now ready to truly believe?

For me, those questions are at the root of what Easter Monday should be all about. We know the entire story, from beginning to end. We know the teachings of the man and glory of the King. We know the facts. So the question for each of us, as it was for Peter and everyone else on that first Easter Monday, has not changed. Who do we say that Jesus is? If after the miracle of the resurrection you can't answer with confidence that he was and is the living God, then you may never be able to answer with assurance. He beat death so that we might live. He restored us to a right relationship with the One who created us. Today is a day to BELIEVE and to change the way we live our lives. Today is the day to cling to our risen Savior and never let go again. Maybe NC had it right all those years ago.  Maybe we should recognize Easter Monday- as a day when we recommit to the One we claim to follow. How will you celebrate today?

Because of Jesus,

Joy to the World- He is Risen!

HAPPY EASTER!

Today I simply praise God for the gift of his Son, and invite you to share in the celebration of the resurrection. The video below is one of my all-time favorite Easter songs. In fact, it is The Easter Song. I love the original from Keith Green and the classic cover from The 2nd Chapter of Acts. I loved singing it in various church choirs. But for me, nothing beats the incredible sound of Glad singing it acapella. Listen to the song, and then, as scripture commands, "Quickly now go tell his disciples that Jesus Christ is no longer dead!"  He is risen!  Hallelujah!!!! Celebrate in worship. Celebrate with family and friends. But most importantly celebrate that Jesus has claimed victory over sin and death. Grace and forgiveness live! The tomb is empty and because of it we are free!!! 

Because of Jesus,

#TBT: Easter Sunrise Services

Happy Maundy Thursday! As long as I can remember Easter Sunrise Services were a part of my life. Beginning when I was in middle school our youth group always played a part in the service, and from the time I took over as Youth Director at New Garden Friends Meeting in 1979 they became an important part of our ministry. Today, with the glorious celebration of Resurrection Sunday awaiting in just a few days, I give you 7 random Sunrise Service memories from over the years. Enjoy, and have a blessed Easter weekend. He is risen!!!

1. At New Garden Friends Meeting (1979-83) we had the service (weather permitting) in the church cemetery. The cemetery is very old, with graves dating back to the Revolutionary War. There was something unique about celebrating the empty tomb in a graveyard. It was a 6 AM service and the youth provided a breakfast afterwards. I remember picking up hundreds of Krispy Kreme doughnuts one year, and making something called Hot-Crossed Buns another. Seriously. Insert bun joke here.
2. At Springfield Friends Meeting (1986-1994) we tried a variety of services (including another very old cemetery) but finally hit upon one that worked- the Flowering Cross. Everyone would bring cut flowers from home, and at the conclusion of the service we would turn an "old rugged cross" into something alive. I usually sang the old Don Francisco classic He's Alive, made famous by Dolly Parton. I did not do any Dolly impressions...



Avis & her Bunny Creation

3. While technically not at a Sunrise Service, I did do an Easter Bunny impression one year. Avis Rees, wife of our pastor, told a resurrection story about an empty egg, and asked me to dress as a bunny for the drama. Against the advice of her own children, I accepted. She even made the costume. I wore it- and many people were never the same. One of our dear old friends from those days, Lori Cox, maintains to this day that her family joined SFM because any church with a youth pastor crazy enough to dress like that must be OK.
4. During my days at FUMC-Kissimmee (1994-2000) we did a 6 AM service down by the Kissimmee lakefront. It never failed to be an adventure. The youth group did the entire service, and at 6 AM you were just never sure who would actually show up. It didn't help any that the time seemed to "spring forward" that weekend every year so we would lose an hour of sleep. One year we were doing a drama, and the student who was playing Jesus over slept. Another year it was a young woman who was supposed to sing a solo. Andrew Lewis and I would be down at Lake Toho around 4:30 on Easter morning setting it all up- and then we would do breakfast afterwards for the church. It was always just a little insane. And that's not even counting the year the city didn't turn off the sprinkler system. We had a mass baptism. complete with screaming.
5. Easter Sunday was spectacular at the Union Church of Hinsdale (2000-2001) but the youth had nothing to do with it- and there was no Sunrise Service despite having a gorgeous setting just across the street. Even at Easter there was no way all those rich folk were getting up that early for church! Yet another bummer for UC.
6. At Wesley Memorial UMC (2001-2005) one year our music director Jason Deese decided to use the Youth Praise Band at the Sunrise Service out in front of the church. Electric guitars, live drums- the works. The neighbors (not only of the church, but of my family- we lived right next door!) were not amused at this early serenade, and the police stopped by to ask us to be quiet. There is no...well, very little... truth to the rumor that my wife made that call...
7. Easter 2006 found me at Trinity UMC in Waycross, GA, where the "early" service followed a huge breakfast. It was my first time preaching to that congregation. You know, if you screw up an Easter sermon you really have no business preaching at all. Fortunately it went well, and I got to preach several more time that year.

And I haven't been at a Sunrise Service since. The church we attend now does lots of Easter services beginning on Saturday afternoon. but nothing earlier than 9 am on Sunday. My mind is still packed with great ideas for planning a Sunrise Service, and one of these days I am going to unleash them on an unsuspecting congregation. Because if you can't get excited and have awesome, creative worship to celebrate the resurrection, you have issues. I mean come on people- He's alive!  Have a blessed day!!!

Because of Jesus,

Crossing the Bridge

Because many of you have asked, I just thought I should tell you...I did it! On Thursday afternoon, less than 24 hours after the final paperwork was done, I drove myself across the bridge to Clearwater. Technically it was not a bridge, it was the Courtney Campbell Causeway. But you get the point. I was out of the county without permission. Because I NO LONGER NEED IT! 

And what wonders awaited me on the other side? Rain as I walked along the bay. The actual original Hooter's. And our closest Joe's Crab Shack which has taunted me these past 7 years. Clearwater Beach was only 8 more miles, but because of spring break crowds that would have taken another 45 minutes to drive. So I left that adventure for another day...

So what does it all mean? Almost nothing! But every now and then life requires us to take baby steps, and crossing that bridge was my first baby step. The second was eating that night at a Buffalo Wild Wings 15 minutes from our house, but previously forbidden fruit because it is in another county. Staying out past 10 PM for the first time since March 20, 2007 (albeit just to pick up Will from Chick-fil-A) was another. There are mores steps to come, and some of them will be giant steps. I look forward to writing some travel blogs in the near future. And I look forward to seeing so many of you.

But even if I don't take big trips anytime soon, I know they are coming. As hard as it is, I have to be patient. You can only cross one bridge at a time. My friend and youth ministry mentor J. David Stone wrote these words as the chorus to a song in 1981, and they have been ringing in my head this week:

Cross over the bridge when you come to it

Don't worry when you're miles away

Can't live tomorrow before it comes

Today's enough for today.

Or to paraphrase the great hymn, One bridge at a time, sweet Jesus! And let the blessings of this day be enough for me. Tomorrow we celebrate Jesus' victory over the grave and the coming of grace into each of our lives. There is no greater blessing that that! 

Because of Jesus,

Good Friday

A gift of love that no words could express, given to a world that never deserved it. A sacrifice that we cannot understand made by a God that we cannot comprehend. 

This is the meaning of Good Friday.

But it's only Friday.

And Sunday is coming...

Jesus Is My Morning Sun!

"On the first day of the week 

Mary came the grave to seek (in sorrow)

Jesus met her by the way

on that first Resurrection Day!"

James Ward's celebratory song Morning Sun expresses so well the relief, exuberance and sheer joy that the friends and followers of Jesus must have felt that first Easter. It is my prayer that all of you feel that same sense of the presence of the living Christ today!  HE IS RISEN!!!  HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!  Happy Easter, dear friends!

Morning Sun  - James Ward

A Day of Waiting

His friends took the crucified Jesus and laid him in a borrowed tomb.  Well, some of his friends.  Others were in hiding.  Some of them clung to the hope that Jesus was not really dead, while others suddenly doubted every thing he had ever told them.  The disciples gathered to figure out what to do next. I would imagine that they sat around and told stories of Jesus.  They wondered what it had all been for.  It was clear there would be no political revolution.  It must have seemed obvious to them that they would soon return to the same powerless lives they had been living before they heard the words, "Follow me."  There was no doubt much discussion about what Jesus really meant when he said he was come back in three days.  They didn't realize that when he said, "It is finished" from the cross he didn't mean his life, he meant his mission.  There would be no more gap between God and man.  His work was done.  As usual, they were slow to get what Jesus meant, and certainly Thomas was not the only one who doubted.  But mostly, on that second day so many years ago, they waited. To be arrested, to discover truth, to learn what was next.  But they waited.

And today we wait- but it's totally different.  We wait with the full knowledge that tomorrow we will celebrate the single greatest event in the history of our world.  We wait knowing that Jesus is alive, that he took our sins, conquered death and rose to walk among the living once again.  So while the disciples waited in a room filled with despair and doubt, we wait with party hats on.  We already know what tomorrow holds.  So don't hold back.  In fact, don't even feel like you have to wait.  Go ahead and jump the gun and start celebrating right now.  The game has already been played, and ladies and gentlemen we have a winner.  "Death is ended; it's swallowed up in victory!"  God wins!  Jesus lives!  Let the celebration begin!!!

He Is Risen!!!

Easter Monday

I grew up in North Carolina, where the official state holiday for Easter was always Easter Monday.  When I was young, it meant a day off from school and and so I never questioned it.  But as I grew older I found this tradition to be quite strange.  There are 6 weeks of Lent, including Ash Wednesday, Holy Week and the actual celebration of Easter. Yet for some reason they used an extra day to invent a holiday on which to acknowledge this high holy day. Easter Monday.

As I think back on this from this point in my life, I think about it differently.  What actually happened on the first Easter Monday?  What was going on in the lives of the people in Jerusalem as word spread that the tomb was empty and Jesus had been spotted walking about?  I have a feeling it effected people in very different ways.  But with apologies to The Bangles, this was not just another manic Monday.  This was the MANIC MONDAY!  Consider the following possibilities...

• The Jewish leaders had to be more nervous than a censor at rap concert.  Their Roman overlords had given them the "Jesus Problem" to deal with, and then crucified him at their request.  This rumor that he was still alive and ready to cause more trouble for the Empire was bound to bring down the full wrath of Caesar on the Pharisees if they didn't put an end to it quickly.  Heads were going to roll.  And you just KNOW that Pilate was getting a major "I told you so!" from his wife.
• The disciples had to be more confused than usual.  They believed he was resurrected; they had seen him, touched him, talked with him.  But given their track record, I have to believe that they had no idea yet what it meant.  Was Jesus finally going to throw the Romans out?  Would they keep travelling around as a team, with Jesus teaching and them providing support?  And most of them had deserted him when things got tough.  Did he even like them anymore?  They had probably not been that confused since the Master started doodling in the sand...
• The Roman guards had to be miserable.  You can just hear their statements to the TMZ reporters of the day. "Of course he was dead. We wouldn't have taken him down if he wasn't dead. We're not idiots!"  And then from the guards at the tomb- "We never left our posts, and that boulder we put in front of the entrance was enormous! It's not our fault!"  I am sure if it happened today either President Obama, aliens or a Kardashian sister would be blamed...

And then there were the average citizens- like you and I.  The ones who yelled "Hosanna" on Palm Sunday and "Crucify him!" a few days later.  How did they respond on Easter Monday?  As the stories spread that this man Jesus had beaten death, did they believe or treat it like a National Enquirer headline?  Were his radical teachings about peace, love and forgiveness suddenly more than just words, or was he still just another wacko street preacher?  Were they now ready to truly believe?

For me, those questions are at the root of what Easter Monday should be all about. We know the entire story, from beginning to end.  We know the teachings of the man and glory of the King.  We know the facts.  So the question for each of us, as it was for Peter and everyone else on that first Easter Monday, has not changed.  Who do we say that Jesus is?  If after the miracle of the resurrection you can't answer with confidence that he was and is the living God, then you may never be able to answer with assurance.  He beat death so that we might live.  He restored us to a right relationship with the One who created us. Today is a day to BELIEVE and to change the way we live our lives. Today is the day to cling to our risen Savior and never let go again.  Maybe NC had it right all those years ago.  Maybe we should recognize Easter Monday- as a day when we recommit to the One we claim to follow.  How will you celebrate today?

Because of Jesus,

He's Alive!

Happy Easter!  Christ the LORD is risen today!  The story of that resurrection day (from the perspective of Peter) is told brilliantly in song by the great Don Francisco.  Enjoy. And then, as the scriptures say, "Quickly now- go tell his disciples that Jesus Christ is no longer dead!"  

"It's Friday, But Sunday's Comin'!"

My Summer 101 series will return next Friday. Today we remember the ultimate sacrifice of the Cross.


The great Tony Campolo loves to share the story of the sermon he once heard preached on Good Friday in a Philadelphia church.  The pastor would tell a fact about the events of the day of Jesus' crucifixion, and then remind the congregation "but that was Friday...and Sunday's coming!" By the conclusion of the service the pastor was just screaming"FRIDAY," and the crowd would reply "SUNDAY'S COMING!!!" I once wrote a responsive reading for an Easter sunrise service using those words.  Here is part of that reading:
Reader:  It was Friday, and my Jesus was nailed to a cross.
Congregation:  But that was Friday...and Sunday's coming!
Reader:  It was Friday, and the guards gambled for Jesus' robe.
Congregation:  But that was Friday...and Sunday's coming!
Reader:  It was Friday, and the veil of the Temple was torn in two, and the sky turned as black as coal, and all the people were afraid.
Congregation:  But that was Friday...and Sunday's coming!
Reader:  It was Friday, and they rolled the stone in front of Jesus' tomb.
Congregation:  But that was Friday...and Sunday's coming!
Reader:  It was Friday, and the hope of the world seemed lost.  Peter had denied Him.  The others had deserted Him.  All they had worked for seemed for naught.
Congregation:  But that was Friday...and Sunday's coming!
Reader:  It was Friday, and my Jesus lay cold and dead.
Congregation:  But that was Friday...and SUNDAY'S COMING!!!

The congregation was encouraged to grow louder each time they responded, because "Sunday's Coming!" were not just words; they were a promise from Jesus.  Today, as we stare into the abyss of Good Friday, we must do it to remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us.  We do it so we understand that the grace of God that wraps us in His love was not cheaply obtained. We do it because when Jesus uttered the words "it is finished" from the cross, he didn't mean his life was done.  A better translation is "it is accomplished!"  He meant that sin had been beaten and that death had been "swallowed up in victory!"  Our separation from God was OVER!   And we do it because we- those who believe and follow the Christ-  know that this is only Friday...only a part of the story, not the end...and SUNDAY'S COMING!!!  Resurrection Day is on the way!!!!


Because of Jesus,

He Is Risen!!!

HAPPY EASTER!

Today I simply praise God for the gift of his Son, and invite you to share in the celebration of the resurrection.  The video below is my all-time favorite Easter song, appropriatly entitled The Easter Song.  I love the original from Keith Green and the classic cover from The 2nd Chapter of Acts.  I loved singing it in various church choirs.  But for me, nothing beats the incredible sound of Glad singing it acapella.  Listen to the song, and then, as scripture commands, "Quickly now go tell his disciples that Jesus Christ is no longer dead!"  He is risen!  Hallelujah!!!!

7 Things: Easter Sunrise Services

As long as I can remember Easter Sunrise Services were a part of my life.  Beginning in middle school our youth group always played a part in the service, and from the time I took over as Youth Director at New Garden Friends Meeting in 1979 they became an important part of our ministry.  Today, with the glorious celebration of Resurrection Sunday awaiting us tomorrow, I give you 7 random Sunrise Service memories from over the years.  Enjoy, and have a blessed Easter.  He is risen!!!

1. At New Garden we had the service (weather permitting) in the church cemetery.  The cemetery is very old, with graves dating back to the Revolutionary War.  There was something unique about celebrating the empty tomb in a graveyard.  It was a 6 AM service and the youth provided a breakfast afterwards.  I remember picking up hundreds of Krispy Kreme doughnuts one year, and making something called Hot-Crossed Buns another.  Seriously.  Insert bun joke here.
2. At Springfield Friends Meeting (1986-1994) we tried a variety of services (including another very old cemetery) but finally hit upon one that worked- the Flowering Cross.  Everyone would bring cut flowers from home, and at the conclusion of the service we would turn an "old rugged cross" into something alive.  I usually sang the old Don Francisco classic He's Alive, made famous by Dolly Parton.  I did not do any Dolly impressions...



Not a happy bunny...

3. While not at a Sunrise Service, I did however, do an Easter Bunny impression one year.  Avis Rees, wife of our pastor, did a resurrection story about an empty egg, and asked me to dress as a bunny for the drama.  Against the advice of her own children, I accepted.  She even made the costume.  I wore it- and many people were never the same.  One of our dear old friends from High Point, Lori Cox, maintains to this day that her family joined SFM because any church with a youth pastor crazy enough to dress like that must be OK.
4. During my days at FUMC-Kissimmee (1994-2000) we did a 6 AM service down by the Kissimmee lakefront.  It never failed to be an adventure.  The youth group did the entire service, and at 6 AM you just never sure who would actually show up.  It didn't help any that the time seemed to change that weekend every year so we would lose an hour of sleep.  One year we were doing a drama, and the student who was playing Jesus over slept.  Another year it was a young woman who was supposed to sing a solo.  Andrew Lewis and I would be down at Lake Toho around 4:30 on Easter morning setting it all up- and then we would do breakfast afterwards for the church.  It was always just a little insane.  And that's not even counting the year the city didn't turn of the sprinkler system.  We had a mass baptism...
5. Easter Sunday was spectacular at the Union Church of Hinsdale (2000-2001) but the youth had nothing to do with it- and there was no Sunrise Service.  Yet another bummer for UC.
6. At Wesley Memorial UMC one year our music director Jason Deese decided to use the Youth Praise Band at the Sunrise Service out in front of the church.  Electric guitars, live drums- the works.  The neighbors (not only of the church, but of my family- we lived right next door!) were not amused at this early serenade, and the police stopped by to ask us to be quiet.  There is no truth to the rumor that my wife made that call...
7. Easter 2006 found me at Trinity UMC in Waycross, GA, where the "early" service followed a huge breakfast.  It was my first time preaching to that congregation.  You know, if you screw up an Easter sermon you really have no business preaching.  Fortunately it went well, and I got to preach several more time that year.

And I haven't been at a Sunrise Service since.  The church we attend now does three full Easter services beginning at 8 AM.  But my mind is still packed with great ideas for planning a Sunrise Service, and one of these days I am going to unleash them on an unsuspecting congregation.  Because if you can't get excited and have awesome, creative worship to celebrate the resurrection, you have issues. I mean come on people-  He's alive!  Have a blessed weekend!!!

Because of Jesus,

Low Sunday

The rest of this week will be devoted to wrapping up my Springfield years, and next Sunday I will begin my journey to Kissimmee and a whole new set of characters and adventures.  But today I want to jump ahead a bit.

Easter weekend is one of the best weekends of the year for most every church.  Van Dyke Church in Tampa, where my family now attends, is no different.  Van Dyke is a very large church that draws nearly 3000 people to three worship services most every weekend.  This Easter there were well over 4000 in attendance for four services.  The Sunday after Easter (and the one after Christmas) is known in church circles as "low Sunday."  You expect to see a drop-off in numbers because all of the C & E church-goers are done for a while.  Yesterday also happened to be the first Sunday of Spring Break here, so the crowd seemed especially thin- although at Van Dyke that still meant we had a large crowd.  As I looked around the sanctuary yesterday, I remembered this moment from days gone by...

The spring of 2001 found me serving the Union Church of Hinsdale in the western suburbs of Chicago.  A large, very traditional church, we had just celebrated Easter with great pomp and circumstance.  A huge crowd had filled the building to overflow.  Trumpets played, handbells rang out and choirs sang.  It was quite a spectacle.  The following Sunday one of our Associate Pastors, a young man named Mark Toole, was preaching.  Mark was one of my favorite staff members I ever worked with, both as a pastor and as a person.  He currently teaches world religions at High Point University in NC.  I was sitting up in the pulpit area with Mark, as I was the scripture reader that day.  Mark rose and looked at the crowd, which was sparse, certainly compared to the previous week.  He addressed the congregation with the following thoughts (my paraphrase):  Remember last Sunday?  Remember how the choir processed in with the trumpets playing?  Remember the amazing sound of a full choir and the great handbells?  Remember how amazing you all sounded as we proclaimed that Christ the LORD is Risen Today?  Remember how the crowd filled not only the sanctuary, but the overflow area as well?  It was truly a wonderful day and the people of this community filled Union Church.  So today I just have one more question.  All of that captures the feel of what Mark said.  His next question is a direct quote that I will never forget.  He paused, starred into the crowd and asked loudly and firmly, "So where the hell are they?"  The congregation erupted in snickers and gasps and outright laughter (that would be me...).  The point he went on to make, at least in my mind, was very basic.  How can, each year and all over the world, so many people hear the message of the resurrection and then go back to living life as if it never happened?  Why are we more concerned with beating the Baptists to the best lunch spots than forgiving our friend who hurt us?  Why is it that so many people walk away from our churches each week saying "What a nice service" instead of proclaiming "Jesus is alive...and THAT IS AWESOME!"  I wish I knew the answer, or even understood how such things can happen.  Thanks Mark, for stepping out of the box for a moment that never fails to remind me that Jesus is to celebrated every day!  I mean really...how can you have a "low Sunday" when you are walking with the Savior?

Because of Jesus,

He's Alive!

Today there are no stories.  There is only Jesus, the Risen Savior of the world.  We arise today and celebrate the most important day in history.  Listen to the song below.  Read the lyrics.  Tell the world.  Jesus Christ is no longer dead!  And neither are we...death has been swallowed up in victory.  We are a resurrection people!  Thanks be to God!



Because of Jesus,