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Is it a Special Sunday?
“IS IT A SPECIAL SUNDAY?”
Today, the calendar says it is “Easter Sunday.” As a result, many people throughout the world will be attending services for the first time since the calendar said “Christmas.” They will attend to remember the resurrection of Jesus. However, it won’t be a “normal” service. It will be a worship service in which plays, skits, and dramas will be included. It will be a service with “special music,” “special preaching,” and of course, the first time communion has been served since “Christmas.” It will be a “special worship” that will be different from the previous Sunday and from the following Sunday.
Growing up in a denomination, I witnessed all of the above in the church I attended. Special Easter lilies decorated the sanctuary. The choir wore different robes than they normally wore. The organist played special music. The ministers were dressed in special robes for the occasion. They preached carefully prepared special sermons. The congregation swelled to almost 400 people, the largest since the services around “Christmas.” I remember the ladies wearing their “Easter bonnets.” My mom always made sure we wore our “Easter” suits for the day. A giant cross with white draped around it stood in one corner. I remember thinking we must be following the Bible and worshipping as God has commanded.
One thing that bothered me about all of this, even as a small child, was that by the time the next Sunday rolled around everything was back to “normal.” The lilies were gone, the choir was back to wearing their regular robes, the cross was gone, and the ministers were back to wearing black robes. The number in attendance was back to 150, and communion was put away until the next “special day.” I thought if the church can get so hyped up about worshipping God on “Easter,” then why can’t we do this same every Sunday.
It wasn’t until I became a Christian that I began to understand what God wants in worship. I learned that God wants us to remember and celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ each and every Sunday. In Acts 20:7, I learned, “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread.” God was commanding us to remember each first day of the week. From I Corinthians 11:23-29, I learned, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” God wants us to hold every Sunday as a “Special Sunday.” God wants us to put our whole heart, soul, and body into giving Him the best that we have each first day of the week.
Worship the Lord your God with everything you have each and every Sunday. Remember His Son’s death, burial, and resurrection each first day of the week until He comes.
Written by Larry Schneider
