It is Easter morning, just before last runthroughs begin before New Life's early Sunday Celebration. Thinking back over these past several weeks and then especially this past week gives me pause. We celebrate the amazing work of Jesus Christ as He battled for our eternal destiny. Here at New Life and in churches around the US, we acknowledge that Easter offers an opportunity to speak into people's lives that are not normally within earshot of our message. Many Americans (maybe it's true in other countries too) attend church on Easter when they may not have do so at all at any other time of year. So, we try very hard to give the message in a way that reached them deeply. It is also a season where committed Christians take more time and expend more energy than usual to draw in close to Jesus.
This means that many, many people spend hours upon hours toiling at the planning, the rehearsal and the presentation of our Easter events. It would amaze you the number of hours that were put into the Maundy Thursday communion & foot washing, the Good Friday Stations of the Cross and the weekend Easter Celebrations. Volunteers and staff alike, put in so much extra time -- giving and giving so that others could be impacted by God over these four days. Set pieces have been under construaction for weeks. Several even took a day off work to come in and work on sets for The Door. Band members spent hours rehearsing the music for Celebrations. Technical crews were here early and staying late for every event. Close to 100 individuals worked just in the Worship Arts area to make all this happen.
Of course, had no one showed up to participate, there would have been no impact in lives -- other than on the ones who worked. Hundreds came to Maundy Thursday and took part in The Lord's Table (on the floor) and footwashing. Hundreds more came throughout the day on Friday and spent time in the quiet to listen to God as they paused at the Stations of the Cross -- many tears were shed, sins left behind, and hurts layed aside. People left their shoes, coats, clothing and money for the poor. At the end of the 8 hour event, the lists of thousands of sins were burned symbolic of God's forgiveness.
What a week! Thansk to all who made it happen.
Thanks to Jesus who made it all possible!
2 comments:
Stations of the cross was very powerful. I appreciate the effort put in to make it a real experience with God. God reached me in a way I wasn't expecting.
I agree w/ ddsuper that stations was a great success. It brought Jesus's final moments into a new perspective by being interactive, sensory, and at my own pace. My mom, from out of town, did it twice and found it very powerful.
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