March 28 – April 3
As I’m typing this, eight of our youth workers and parents are at the home of a Messianic Jewish Rabbi and they are learning about the Jewish Seder. The Seder was the meal that the Jews ate to celebrate the Passover. This Sunday morning in our Collide Small Groups, they’ll be recreating that meal for us. That will be a pretty unique experience, so “be a bringer” and invite a friend to come and be a part.
This week we have been talking about rituals and routines. In a few days, I’ll be at the grandparent-in-laws (not sure if that is technically a word, but it should suffice). We’ll be celebrating Easter and I can tell you how it’s going to happen. We are going to arrive on Saturday morning and the kids will paint and dye Easter eggs. After that, we’ll eat lunch – big people in the kitchen, little people in the front room. Then it will be time for the kids to hunt Easter eggs in the front yard. They’ll line up near the front door for the annual pictures and then the hunt will begin. After the hunt is over, the women will sit in the kitchen and talk and the men will sit in the living room and talk about tractors, guns, and other things I know nothing about . . . so I’ll read. Then we’ll pack up and head home.
It’s routine. We all have routines, but routines put us in danger of missing something important. Because of Jesus, following God is no longer about ritual, it’s about relationship. Don’t miss the relationship because of the routine.
What can I do?
1. Sign up for 180 or Elevate (and bring friends) – a retreat is a chance to get away and break the routine of our regular weekly living.
2. Plan something out of the ordinary for your family to celebrate Easter. It doesn’t have to be extravagent (I was really tempted to go with “eggstravagent” since we were just talking about eggs). Reflect back on the best thing God has done in your life this year. Share what God is doing right now. Serve at the Caring Place. Volunteer to serve in Extended Session at church. Do something different and focus on Jesus while you are doing it.
