ok, so, i get a lot of emails around christmas and easter from really stressed out church leaders/staff/volunteer/family members, the like.
and i’m curious…
easter weekend makes you feel…
your vote is anonymous, but feel free to discuss as well…
ok, so, i get a lot of emails around christmas and easter from really stressed out church leaders/staff/volunteer/family members, the like.
and i’m curious…
easter weekend makes you feel…
your vote is anonymous, but feel free to discuss as well…
Comments
17 responses to “quick easter poll”
This Easter I’ll be going out of town with my wife and family for a much needed vacation.
“See you guys in a week or so…I’m sure everything will turn out just fine.”
Moohahahahah.
For me, Easter used to be anything but a celebration. As a former staffer of a large church, I was also too busy and exhausted from “performing” and organizing; never had the strength or time to truly pause, reflect, and worship.
Now, we’re on our own. My husband and I started a new church plant, in a highly anti-Christian area, and we’re loving life! No pressure. No expectations. No traditions. We can simply live and love God. Complete freedom to worship as our heart leads. True, open doors for seeking and loving God freely.
Five years ago? Easter killed me. Today? As I find myself basking in the wonder of his resurrection, I realized that he has truly resurrected my own spirit. I’ll never be the same.
I absolutely love Easter and Christmas… who knows, maybe one of those two-time-a-year attenders will be touched by God!
We used to use Easter as a deadline to get things done around the church. Things like redecorating, sprucing things up, making sure all the materials were will stocked, etc..
Now we don’t worry too much about that, we just celebrate.
I do celebrate but it’s more of a spiritual celebration than all the meal stuff. I usually watch the Passion of the Christ every Easter weekend and usually my boys and future daughter in law come over for dinner. Small, quaint, stress free.
Ellen Stevens, I’m going to have to do my best to check out The Journey church of anchorage while stuck here in OKC. It looks fascinating. But I still have to ask, even in the last American frontier, what do you mean by “a highly anti-Christian area”?
I’ve never minded the busyness of these holidays even though it takes my man away for the weekend. It’s too important not to be serious about. And to amazing not to be excited about. To me, it’s good stress.
I’m a drummer…and for some reason I always get rooked into playing on Easter and every year I say that will be my last Easter to play.
At least this year I know after this Sunday, I will be working on my “integrity” and be stepping away from the worship team while working on it.
So, it’s stressful for me because I like to do the early morning Easter stuff with the kids and now we have to wait until after church.
Craptacular!
Best holiday with religious significance of the whole year (best just plain holiday is Thanksgiving). We love Easter and have people here for a big meal after church(don’t have children of our own). Each year our church tries to accommodate all the C&E people (don’t get me started on how likely is it that C&E people make the leap of faith – literally) so now we have service on Good Friday night, Saturday night and 3 on Easter Sunday. DH and I will attend all – there is always some weird job that needs doing or errand to run and since we can’t sing, play an instrument or preach – we are blessed to be servants. Not horn tooting or false modesty – anyone who hasn’t tried it – ought to – it is SO cool to be a behind the scenes person. We get all the blessing and joy possible and don’t have to have people make a big deal over it. I do miss sunrise service – but finding after 20plus years in a liturgical church and not quite 9 in bible church- these freewheeling nondenominationals have good points and not so good.
I hate to say it, but . . . stressed. I take part in the Good Friday service and it stresses me out until it’s over. Also, I feel resentful that the church has, yet again, taken my husband from me. I know, I know – selfish me!
On a more positive note, I feel more focused by Sunday. Reflective. Meditating on the realness of Christ’s sacrafice. In awe that someone would love me that much. Sometimes, I don’t think I fully get it. Easter is a good time to really think about it.
Jimmy Paravane – (Sorry, Anne – off topic!) I don’t want to sound as though there are no christians. There are: wonderful ones. And there are a few growing churches. However, we’re definitely the minority – as far as I can see. One poll stated that less than 30% of Alaskans consider themselves religious. In our own church plant experience, we’ve connected primarily with agnostics, atheists, wiccans, mormons, new-age, seventh-day adventists, buddhists and some traditional christians. (This mix is partly due to the diverse cultures here – we have 98 languages spoken in our public elementary schools – in a city of only 300K.) Of the ‘christians’, the vast majority that I have met have stated that they hate religious institutions, were burned by churches, hated publicly admitting they were christians, and were barely holding onto any faith at all. As a side note, on an average trip to the grocery store, I see more pro-wicca bumper stickers on soccer mom vans than I do any other religious sign. (Not that that means a lot – I’m a pretty big christian-fish-symbol-hater myself!) To sum, it’s not that there aren’t christians here, rather that the anti-christians are VERY vocal and in great numbers in Alaska. Makes for a fun and challenging place to plant a church. You can’t help but be real!
this year was WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY less stressful than last year’s craziness (capital campaign, speedway easter egg hunt and 13 services). but still stressful because i was supposed to have been out of the country. now that i’m not, its calmed down.
Hey Anne! We sure miss you guys down here. I really appreciated the question. Some years are easy and some are very very hard. Wes & I have been married for 16 years and he’s been incredibly busy every Easter and Christmas. I remember the first year we were married, he even slept at the church (we lived 45 minutes away). And we survived many Dallas Christmas Festivals at Prestonwood. At Lake Pointe in the past few years he has traveled to Israel and Iraq to prepare for Easter, while the kids & I stayed home and prayed for safety.
I asked myself this question, “Is it worth the sacrifice?” Then I thought–What does Jesus think, “Is it worth the sacrifice?” The things we give up during these few weeks are nothing compared to what He gave up for us.
Then I looked up sacrifice on Bible Gateway. Hebrews 10 really blessed me.
9Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” … 10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Thanks for the motivation to reflect on His Sacrifice.
Usually Easter is very busy at church and stressful. I survive but am so thankful it’s over. It’s sad that I have a hard time celebrating Jesus’ death and resurrection.
This year I will be out of town and probably won’t be going to church. We will have our own Easter celebration.
It will be odd but hopefully relaxing for us and the kiddos.
This is the first year that my family celebrated Lent going into Easter. Wow, it is amazing how much more you look forward to Easter when that marks the end of the fast!
Our family made sure to do practical and spiritual things to bring focus to Lent and ultimately to Easter. Easter means more this year because of the Lenten focus. We are looking forward to celebrating with our church family this Sunday! No stress this year.
Easter is messing with my head this year as it comes before Pass Over this year. How is that possible?? I read a bunch but I’m still confused and dazed! I guess we may celebrate twice:)
I stopped by today to let you know I got my first letter from the young man I sponsored while you all where in Uganda. Pop over to my blog if you want to see him.
Jen
I DO get stressed at Easter but it is still a hugely significant spiritual celebration for me. As the years go by I’ve learned how to handle things better I think and focus more on preparing my heart. To me it is a privelege to lead worship on this day – some of my most vivid memories as a worship leader are of Easter Sundays. Christmas, now, that kills me. Of all times of the year I’d love to go to a simple acoustic guitar and candles, it’s Christmas. I get so tired of not being with my children or having time to bake or thoughtfully shop or anything else! I miss Christmas.