Next Sunday is Easter. In most American congregations in most American denominations, it will be one of the best attended services of the year. In many, it will be THE best attended service of the year.
It will also most likely be the best dressed service. Women all over the United States and in many other countries will not only attend the service but will welcome spring with bright new outfits and hats and all the trimmings. The dead of winter is past; spring is here and all the fresh, new things that go with it.
Before someone accuses me of cynicism for that comment, let me assure you I have no problem either with people attending services only on Easter or with them dressing up. Any time someone sets foot in church, it’s a good thing, regardless of the reason. And there’s nothing wrong with dressing up once in a while. Some of us do that very well!
But the point seems to be begging that the service we attend and the worship we give on this day is not about going to church or about dressing up our bodies.
It’s about worshiping the God and Creator of all the Universe, Who came to Earth, lived among His creation as one of them, died a more hideous death than most of them could ever imagine and rose again so they could also overcome the first death; the death of the physical body.
It’s also about the true ‘dressing up’, which doesn’t happen each Easter but will happen on that final ‘Easter’ when we’ve crossed the Jordan and have experienced the resurrection for ourselves. Those Easter garments truly will be spectacular.
Next Sunday is Easter. In most American congregations in most American denominations, it will be one of the best attended services of the year. In many, it will be THE best attended service of the year.