The great celebration of Easter has come and gone, and we have much to rejoice in this moment. The churches were packed with worshippers and visitors. Songs of praise were lifted into the air while messages of hope and new life echoed off the walls of many a sanctuary. Perhaps persons confessed their faith in Jesus Christ, returned from a prodigal journey away from the faith, or perhaps this was their first moment to hear the Gospel message. Whatever the situation the truth remains that this past Easter Sunday the Holy Spirit rested upon the churches in Fairfield Texas with lives being changed and the Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed.
There just remains the nagging question, what do we do now?
Now, at least for your pastors, the immediate answer is to take a nap. But following that necessary recovery what do we then do? I have heard so many testimonies about people’s experiences this past Easter Sunday and there appears to be such a momentum to keep that testimonial drive going. But is that even possible? The answer is yes, but it is difficult and will require hard work and faithful determination.
Easter, for me usually, is a mountain-top experience. The pews are filled with people, the church is busting with laughter, conversation, and prayer. People seem to be more open to refocusing or examining their faith and the truth that dwells within the Gospel message. But what so often happens is that many of us fall back into our normal routines of apathetic regard toward our faith journey.
Now, this is not a critique of such persons (because I am one of them). It is difficult to remain in the zeal of spiritual revival. When we “come down off the mountain” of our revival we can be immediately slammed by the sluggish and critical stains of the world. We walk out from the empowering of the sanctuary into the harsh skepticism of the world around us. Our problems are still there, our addictions, our shortcomings, and our failures. Our moment of revival can turn into a sad realization that the world around us has not changed and we can fall back into our same habits.
Perhaps we should spend less time obsessing over the world “around” us and more so on the world “within” us. Our spiritual walk with Christ is the most important aspect of our lives. Through a fruitful relationship with Jesus, your eyes will be opened to the struggles of this world, but also to the ways and solutions that you can offer to assuage such anguish. When we are given the blessed gift of our faith being rekindled or set ablaze, we must be sure to focus efforts on keeping that fire stoked. Otherwise, we will simply be dowsed with the despair of the world and fall back into the routine of a skeptical society.
Take this time of spiritual renewal to grow in your faith in God. Talk to your pastor, join a small group, visit a Sunday school class, open the Bible and start reading, and gather those around you who will join in your journey. Before you know it that Easter moment of revival will turn into a daily strengthening of your faith brought upon by the constant presence of Jesus Christ.
What do we do now my friends? We get to work!
Pastor Mike McVey
Minister – First United Methodist Church, Fairfield TX
ACS Chaplain – United States Coast Guard, Station Galveston TX
