It’s a phenomenon that I have never fully understood – the post-Easter slump. Traditionally the Sunday after Easter is one of the lowest attended Sundays in the church year. Scores of pastors take the Sunday off, so many that the Sunday after Easter is affectionately dubbed “National Associates Sunday.” And they don’t take off because they are still tired from Easter. They take off because they don’t want to preach to a half-empty Sanctuary.

And I’ve never understood it. In the aftermath of Easter, I am excited. God has just revealed again the mystery of the Empty Tomb. We have just been reminded of just how deep the Father’s love is for us. The truth that there was literally nothing God did not do to demonstrate that love hits hard. And at the end of the Easter story, we are encouraged – challenged really – to make that love real. To live as people loved that much by their creator. I leave Easter inspired, emboldened and encouraged to recommit myself to the life of discipleship that Jesus offers.

After the excitement of Easter, I can’t wait to worship again. I am anxious to step out on the journey with Jesus again.

And I hope you are, too. I can’t explain the phenomenon of the post-Easter slump, I just know that it happens. But I also am convinced that it doesn’t have to. On Easter we explored together the underlying message of the Empty Tomb. We talked about how God’s redemption of the events of Holy Week articulate a promise to us of God’s redemption of the darkest times of our own lives. There is a promise of presence there, and we tend to see what we expect to see. As followers of a risen Lord, we should expect to see Christ at work in our midst. We should expect to hear the call to step into the holy work that God is blessing.

In other words, this is not a time to slack off. This is time to fully commit ourselves to the journey of faith that begins anew at that Empty Tomb. The truth is we can’t afford a post-Easter slump. This is the time to dig in and to walk faithfully and passionately the path that leads away
from the Empty Tomb. That’s what it means to live as the people of Easter.

As an extra bonus this year, we also on Sunday will be celebrating the Confirmation of five of our students. These young people have been working hard for months, learning about the history and nature of the church and their faith. And at the 11 a.m. service on Sunday, they will accept the responsibility for that life of faith for themselves. It will be a holy moment, and I know you will want to be there to celebrate with them.

See you Sunday.