A glimpse into this youth pastor’s heart on Easter 2021:
2 hours before worship services begins…
I sit in anticipation. In just a few hours, people begin pouring into our church building. Many of them will not have been in one for quite some time. Due to the pandemic, even those who normally attend worship services only on Easter and Christmas will have had at least a year and a half off, or maybe the full two years since Easter 2019. For others, this will be the first time they have ever stepped into a church building. Still, others have been in one for as long as they can remember. And then we have everyone in between.
And as I wait, I pray. Specifically, I pray for all the people who will enter into any church building today. I pray for the varied situations they bring with them or they are trying to leave behind. I pray for their hearts and minds to see Jesus in a new way today. I pray for those who will hear about Jesus for the first time, and I pray for the many who will hear about Jesus’ resurrection for the 5,000th time today. I also pray for all those who are planning to be baptized today and the many others who are not yet planning on it but consider taking that step today.
“God, will you please blow us away today with your majesty and love?!”
2 hours after the worship services end…
I’m that kind of tired that feels great! It’s almost like a really good workout, but better! We had a lot of people in person and a lot join us online. But better than that, we had 38 baptisms! And 14 of them were students. We also have two more adults getting baptized tomorrow and one more high schooler next Sunday after youth group. It was so great to see God work!
We also had an amazing celebration of worship to our God! Our band led out in an awesome way. People were singing so loud, lifting their hands, and even dancing! I pray that God was honored, because we certainly lifted up many shouts of praise to Him today!
While I don’t know if any of the guests will come back, I continue to pray for them. Maybe this one time they decided to check out a church service will make a difference. I also pray for all those who were baptized, that God will protect them from the enemy and use them in an amazing way in the coming weeks and years!
I hope this sort of worship sticks and it’s not just an Easter and Christmas thing. But sometimes I feel like that’s only a dream. I’ve hoped for it before, and after a few weeks, it feels like things go back to “normal.” But maybe the pandemic and everything else will change things moving forward. At least, that’s what I pray.
FEEDBACK: What was your Easter like this year? If you were in person, how was it coming back? If you were still online-only, how did it go?
Steve Cullum 