A Message From Our Pastor
Five Ways To Prepare For Easter Sunday
When I reflect on Easter, I immediately think about my mother taking my sister and me shopping for new Sunday clothes. We would head out to our local Burlington Coat Factory to find the perfect shirt and tie combo for me along with an equally brilliant dress for my sister. My mother would lay the items out and iron anything that need pressing so that my sister and I would look our very best on that special Sunday. What I didn’t notice is that she rarely got a new dress for herself. Her concern was on making sure that we fit in with our peers and looked nice on Easter Sunday when our pastor would call on the kids forward. It is amazing how those things become clearer with time. As Easter approaches it is easy for us to get caught up with all the preparations for that day and forget to prepare ourselves. Over the years I have made it a point to do something each year to intentionally prepare myself for the Easter season. Of course, as a pastor, I am abnormally aware of that day. However, I am prone to busy myself with sermon preparation, event execution, and others matters that draw my attention away from what Easter is all about. It is all about an empty grave, a risen Jesus, and the forgiveness of sin. Now, that is something worth our consideration. Therefore, I would like to offer the five following suggestions as you prepare yourself for Easter.
1. Take A Spiritual Inventory Of Your Life
I am not suggesting that you fill out a questionnaire or take a quiz online. A spiritual inventory involves a personal time of reflection on where you stand with God. It involves asking yourself questions such as, “Do I have any sin patterns in my life that need to go?” Or maybe something as simple as, “What does my daily walk with God look like?” These types of questions help us to recognize where we are and what needs to change in our pursuit of Jesus.
2. Read Up On The Last Week Of Jesus’s Life
This has been my practice just about every year for as long as I can remember. I pick one of the Gospels and zero in on the last week of Jesus’ life. I usually save the readings for the week leading up to Easter, which helps me to focus on that week. If you would like to include this in your preparation for Easter, you can focus on the following - Matthew 21-28, Mark 11-16, Luke 19-24, or John 12-21. There is something powerful about reading about Jesus’ passion week as you prepare for Easter.
3. Read A Devotional Focused On Easter
Several years ago I was browsing the aisles in a Lifeway Bookstore, and I came upon a tiny little book entitled, The Passion of Jesus Christ. I had just watched a movie with that title, so I thought it would be worth the read. This book written by John Piper was and has been a powerful devotional tool in my life, especially in my preparation for Easter. The book offers fifty short readings that answer why Jesus came to die. It doesn’t matter if you read this devotional or another, a focused devotion will make your Easter celebration more meaningful.
4. Include Fasting And Prayer In Your Preparation
In the church that I grew up in, there was never much discussion about fasting. I don’t think the church leadership was opposed to it. I just don’t think they had much experience with it. Over the years I have fasted in different ways and for various reasons. However, the results have pretty much been the same. God has used fasting as a means to draw me closer to Him. When we fast we are learning to depend on God more fully. I can’t think of a better way to prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus than spending time drawing near to God.
5. Invite Someone To Easter Services
Since I am a pastor, I know this might seem like a shameless plug. If you will hear me out, you will realize that it is not. After Jesus was resurrected from the dead, he told his disciples to go and make more disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus was letting us know that the resurrection should motivate us to spread the word about the Gospel and the Kingdom of God. Easter is a time of the year when many are naturally receptive to an invitation to church. I want to encourage you to grab an invite at church and make a point to invite someone to sit with you at worship this Easter. It might just change their eternity, and it will certainly change your Easter. My prayer is that these suggestions will be of help to you as prepare for Easter this year. I do just want to offer a quick word of warning. Don’t try to do all of them. Pick one of the top four and be sure to include number five. You won’t regret it.