"Oh no! It's Easter again." - Ken Goodban
It’s coming. It’s only January, but I know its coming. That big “it” is Easter and as a Pastor of a church here in Bellflower, I’m already feeling the pressure. Oh, there’s excitement and great anticipation, don’t get me wrong. But there is this sense of pressure and anxiety about the whole Easter thing.
When I was kid, Easter Sunday was one of the only times we would go to church. Yeah, I grew up in the typical “CEO Family” attending church on “Christmas and Easter Only.” And most of what I remember is being bored to the point of actually untying my clip-on tie and getting in trouble for messing around during church. Man, where were the live animals, big screens, and helicopter easter egg drops back then? Needless to say, Easter Sunday Church Service was not my favorite part of the day.
Now, I’m the Pastor of the Church and feeling some pressure to produce something exciting and captivating for an audience of people who may only show up a couple times a year. And it better be awesome for everyone that attends all year long, too. Oh, and by the way, it’s the same story they hear every Easter Service; the Resurrection of Jesus. It actually is the greatest story ever told and without the fact of the Resurrection our faith would be absolutely meaningless, but unless I come up with some new & exciting way of communicating that story it’s just another boring church service.
I read something a while back that has stuck with me and really helped me. Someone said, “You are the most influential person in your life because you talk to you more than anyone else does.” I say that because, as a Pastor, I’m just telling you what I think as Easter Sunday approaches. And I know it’s crazy and a bit unspiritual but that’s the struggle for me. I hope this stirs up something inside of you that says, “I need to pray for my Pastor this Easter Season.” It’s so true and we need you to pray for us, as Pastors here in Bellflower, to experience a fresh reality check about the Resurrection in our own lives and that this is all about God, not us. Would you commit to pray for your Pastor today and for all the Pastors of the Church in Bellflower? And as the Apostle Paul asked, “Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for everyone!”
HOW TO PRAY:
Pray for the Pastors of Bellflower to have a fresh sense of the Resurrection of Christ in their own lives.
Pray for Your Pastor as they prepare spiritually & mentally for one of the biggest days of the year for the Church - “It’s not about you - It's all about Him.”
Pray for the message of the Resurrection of Christ to impact our community like never before - a new level of hope, love, and power to overcome every obstacle in Bellflower.
Ephesians 6:19 “And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.”
About the Author: Pastor Ken is the Senior Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Bellflower and gets the amazing privilege of Pastoring the Church he grew up in. Ken & Dawn have 4 grown children and 10 grand children which always make his highlight reel and many sermon illustrations.