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Thursday, April 8, 2010

Controversy on Easter Sunday


As most of you know, I am the Programming Director for my church - McKinney Fellowship. I love my job! I am tasked with designing services where people can commune with the living God. One of the best parts about working for my church is that we are a church who is not afraid to take risks to reach others for Christ. Having said that, with this job comes great joy but also great responsibility. What if I am not hearing from the Lord enough when I am designing the services week after week? What if I "miss it" or get "it" wrong when I think I am following promptings from Him? It is a bit challenging to say the least, but a challenge I gladly except.

This Easter was no exception. Easter has it's own special challenges every year and the extra pressure of knowing that we will have people come in the door who would never come to church on a "normal" Sunday. It is those people my heart is burdened most for. So, as many churches were already toiling away on their Easter plans many weeks out, I was still struggling with what God would have us do. Long story short, what came out of that toil and struggle was something that no one expected. A drama/music/video combination that left many speechless after it ended but wound up the topic of conversation for many hours after the service ended. If you would like to watch it you can find it here.

As expected, we got some less than stellar comments on the heavy nature with which we tackled these issues on Easter Sunday - which I will admit caused me to second guess if I heard the Lord correctly on this one. After all, Easter is supposed to be a celebration of the risen Savior. Had we possibly gone to far? But I am reminded that it is only a celebration for the ones who know Him, and as the stories of life change slowly begin to emerge, my spirit soars! Like the man does not know Christ and yet was so moved that we would "do that in church" that he not only was talking about it days after, but called his sister who lives some distance away to tell her about it so they can watch it again. The son who rarely attends church and is far from the Lord but came with a friend and talked about it all day with his precious mother. (He will surely never listen to Evanescence again and not remember this day!) And the stories of many who have issues that mirror those in the drama (including cutting and suicidal thoughts) who came forward to get help for their lives they feared were long dead and unsalvageable. I am certain there are many more that I may never have the privilege of hearing.

So today, as I think back on the weekend's events, I no longer fear the ones who would question if we (I) made the right call to do this controversial piece. I rest in the fact that Jesus was not afraid to offend and be radical to save the lost ones no one else could reach. It is His footsteps I choose to follow in and will continue to push the limits to reach the unreachable whose lives are broken and desperate for a touch from the Healer who makes dead things come alive again!

All glory to the Risen One!

4 comments:

czstout said...

Jan, I always say that I love McFBC for so many reasons, but the main one being that we don't prance around the Bible {it's truth and healing}. I appreciated the drama on Sunday for so many reasons! Many people "attend" church just to check it off their list! When things like this drama are presented, those people become engaged and lives are changed! I love the fact that other medias are utilized in an effort to reach the lost, and in turn they speak to the found! I was moved by JoElla's role...I have 5 loads of laundry that need to be done right now :)

Anywho, not that these ramblings made any sense whatsoever, just wanted to say I love you and I love what you do for the Lord!

Dave Lewis said...

After reading your blog, I'm reminded of how outlandish our Lord's words were to the religious of His day... "You study the scriptures thoroughly because you think in them you possess eternal life, and it is these same scriptures that testify about me, but you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life." -John 5:39-40

Following the Lord is ultimately just 'following Him...' not a feeling, not what someone else says we should do, not following the safe road, not even superficially following the Bible (oh, my did I say that?) ...yes, it takes risk to follow Him, and at times we may be off the mark, but what a reward when we're totally abandoned in our desire to please Him and he meets us... that makes it all worthwhile!

We love you, Jan!

debily said...

Yes, Easter is a celebration, but a celebration of what? If we look at the TRUE meaning of Easter, it's a celebration of Christ's sacrificial death, taking the penalty and punishment for ALL our sin and ALL our failings...and ultimately conquering death and living again in wholeness and purity.

THAT'S what Resurrection Sunday is all about. THAT'S why Christians celebrate. It's not *just* an empty tomb. It's not *just* Christ appearing to the disciples and Mary and the crowds on the mountainside. It's the promise of new life, new hope, new beginnings...all because of what He did for us. It's the reality that I can stand before the holy God of the universe, as imperfect and flawed and unworthy as the rest of humanity...and hear the verdict "NOT GUILTY."

And that message was conveyed perfectly through the words of the song and the drama.

Anonymous said...

Wake up, PEOPLE!!! I see in the news everyday, kids killing themselves, kids driving head on into Dr Pepper trucks, dying of pill overdoses, blowing their brains out. Why do they do these things? They don't have a free relationship with Jesus Christ who died a NASTY death. they're already dead inside. They have no hope. God has brought us hope through Christ. We can have life eternal thanks to Christ's ultimate price. Thank you Jan, for not being SCRRRED to push the envelope. I vow to treat my opportunities for the furthering of His kingdom with the same fearless abandon that I see you having on a regular basis. Keep on keepin on....

David U

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