Today is Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday (also known as Easter) is, well, Sunday! I’m a “light” Christian. To me that means I go to church at least 2 Sundays a month, I aim for at least 3. I read the Bible, but trust, if I were on Jeopardy and that were a category, I probably wouldn’t clear the column. And there have been times where I’ve worked weekends, including Sunday mornings, and was not able to make it to service as often as I wanted. I’ve tried to be a good Christian, but I know I can do better.
But Easter Sunday too often presents interesting scenarios. For example, my aunt is a devout Christian. Goes every Sunday, goes to Bible Study, and she’s even an usher. But she stopped going to church on Easter because she said it was just too much of a headache for her.
I had my own nightmarish experience once. It made me not go to my home church the following year because it was so bad. I arrived to church after rushing home from working overnight, hoping in the shower, and quickly getting dressed. I find a seat in the second row. Not my usual seat, but the church was packed of course. I’m sitting in front of a large family whom I’d never seen before. The kids are loudly eating their Easter candy and the mothers are gabbing back and forth during the songs, the scriptures, every thing! Then the pianist starts playing and begins singing his solo. One of the women behind me comments and says loudly, “DAMN! That n**** can SANG!” You know I wouldn’t lie to you readers. All I could do was shake my head and pray to the Lord. The pastor even had to address this group. He asked them (and others, didn’t want to single them out, but it was primarily for this group) to refrain from talking during service because the “Lord speaks in a whisper, and if others are talking loudly, we will miss what He is saying.” (Yeah, that’s why my old pastor is DA BOMB!)
But I’ve been criticized by so-called “Christians” myself several times. Once, one came up to me after I arrived late to service.
“Better late than never!” she said to me.
“Well, I rushed over here as fast as I could after being at work since 11 o’clock last night! I’m just glad I didn’t fall asleep driving here or during the service!” That shut her up.
Another one snidely said to me “Oh! Haven’t seen you here in a while Scarlett!”
“Oh! I was just about to say the same thing to you too!” I respond. “I’ve been here the last three weeks and haven’t seen you either!” Again, shut her up quickly.
This post is not to criticize so-called “Cheasters” for only going into the House of the Lord for Christmas and Easter, or “CME Christians” who also sit in the pews on Mothers’ Day. It’s also a note for Holy Rollers. So here are some tips for you to follow this Sunday:
1) Don’t be so judgemental and roll your eyes when someone they don’t know or haven’t seen in exactly one year walks in for a high holiday service.
2) It’s not YOUR house, it’s the Lords! Only He can decide who can come in, and He welcomes EVERYONE! So Holy Rollers, be glad that they’re even there at all. You may not know why they’re there this Sunday and not the next. You don’t know their story. Just be welcoming and invite them to come back next Sunday, to Bible Study, Bible Camp, etc.
3) When they church secretary asks if there are any visitors, don’t comment, laugh, or suck your teeth if no one stands up yet the normally half full church is packed to the rafters. Maybe they’ve come every year and don’t consider themselves visitors. Or maybe they’re just really shy. Just wish them a Happy Resurrection Sunday and flash them a genuine smile.
Now, to the not-so-regular church-goers, I do have some tips for you to make your experience better as well:
1) Get there on time, or as close to it as possible. If the service starts at 11, please be there, and in your seats by 11. This coming from someone who is perpetually late. 11:15 is understandable. Maybe the kids were acting up, or you couldn’t get your hair to curl just right. But please avoid strolling into service at 12:30 mid-sermon. It’s disruptive to everyone. Do some research and find churches that have later services. So if it’s 11:45 and you’re going to be late for the 11:00am service, you know you can go to another church that starts at noon.
2) Please don’t hold conversations during the service. Again, it’s disruptive. And like my old pastor said to that unruly group, “the Lord speaks in a whisper, and if others are talking loudly, we will miss what He is saying.”
3) Please limit the number of times you get up and go in and out of service. Again, it’s disruptive.
4) Don’t assume everyone at the church is judging you because you don’t come every Sunday. I for one, am not. So leave the attitude and the chip on your shoulder at the door.
I hope this post will help yearly & daily church-goers be able to worship peacefully this Sunday. Happy Easter to you and Happy Resurrection Sunday to you.
The Scarlett Letter 