Easter is often referred to as the "Super
Bowl of Sundays," which I personally have no problem with. I mean, it does
make sense. Obviously, the commercials and advertisements are a little
different (hopefully) and the Easter outcome has already been decided (Jesus
conquered death), but there are many similarities. The Super Bowl is the most
widely watched game of the season and Easter is the most highly attended day of
worship in the calendar year. There are pre-game egg-hunt festivities,
brunches, lunches, choirs and cantatas, well-polished sermons and
heartfelt dramas. This is no regular game day! There's excitement in the
air and lots of anxious onlookers in the pews. Easter is a day that we pause to
remember our Savior's empty grave and celebrate that He has risen indeed. It is
a big deal, and rightfully so.
So again, I have no issue with Easter being
considered the "Super Bowl of Christianity." In many ways it fits.
Yet there is something that can become quite problematic. What if we carry this
comparison a step further, and our post-Easter Christianity becomes similar to
post-Super Bowl football fandom? When we as believers begin to treat the Monday
following Easter, and the next few months, in the same way that football fans
approach the days that follow the Super Bowl, it can become quite detrimental
to both our joy and growth.
Sure, the fans of the Super Bowl winning team
are still going bananas; they're busy ordering their championship shirts and
memorabilia. Certainly there are some folks anticipating the draft and training
camps leading up to next season, but in the immediate days that follow, there's
not much going on. Many people move on to another sport that's in season; maybe
they pick up another hobby. Nevertheless, football eventually slips the
conscience of even the most avid fan following the Super Bowl. This must not be
the same for Christians post-Easter.
And this is really where the comparison really wears
out. Our hope, the foundation of our faith, is worth celebrating daily.
Yes, there is a holiday set-aside annually for us to officially observe
this day, but can our gratitude and excitement truly be contained to just one
Sunday in March or April? Of course not!!
So then, what can we do to avoid this kind of
post-Easter decline (not in nominal attendance, but in spiritual pursuit)? Well,
we remember the empty tomb and the newness of life that is now extended to
us because of it. We marvel at that
wonderful cross where our
Savior died, and remind one another that the wrath of God was poured out upon
Jesus, the one who knew no sin and yet became sin on our behalf, to cover our
multitude of sins. We reflect on the life of Jesus, how He perfectly
and wholly submitted Himself unto the Father, for had He not done so, the cross
would have been insufficient and the empty tomb irrelevant.
Plainly and simply, this morning we want to
reflect on the gospel. As we give thanks for our lunch, let's recall His
faithful provision for each day. And this evening before we lay down for what
will surely be too short of a night of sleep, let's remember that we find our
only real rest in Christ alone. In the victory of Monday morning and the
blessed hope of tomorrow, this is where the Super Bowl comparison ends; and it
is here that the deeper joy and spiritual growth of the saint begins. Pursue
those things, which stir your affections for Christ, and enjoy a very happy day after Easter!
 |
| Matt Fowler NBC Family Pastor of HS @fattmowler |
No comments:
Post a Comment