by Duane Stine
Eastern PA District Team
The Easter season is known for its array of color. Whether it be eggs, cards, outfits, candy, or anything else Easter, bright and pastel spring colors are everywhere. But some of the colors of Easter are not so bright. When we remember the Holy week, it starts off with some green of palm branches that were laid on the path in front of a colt as it walked into the city, but the colors quickly turn darker as we approach the climax of the week. The red of the blood that was shed that mixed with the brown of the cross and the dirt and even stained the purple of the robe or the total darkness that covered the earth, none of these are colors we would want to use to paint our eggs! But then came the morning. Bright sunshine, blue skies, the glow of angels. It was a new day and a time for great celebration.
So why all of this about the colors of Easter? Because for the next few moments, I would like to focus on one specific color…which is not really a color at all, but a feeling. It is the post-Easter blues. That feeling that comes over you after the high of Resurrection Sunday as you sit down and review the weekend in your head.
We all do it. It is natural. After a big moment or event, we reflect and process. This can be a great opportunity to review what went well and to honestly critique where it did not. If I could make a suggestion here, take time to review the positives shortly after the event, but maybe it would be best to wait a few days to review the critiques, after you had some time for rest. Major moments in ministry leave us exhausted physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Take some time to recharge!
I hope you had an awesome Resurrection Day celebration but remember that mountain top experiences are usually followed by a valley. Again, this is normal, but it is helpful to recognize and acknowledge it and give yourself some space to decompress.
But what if your weekend was not what you hoped for? This is the second year in a row for not being able to hold services like we normally would have due to COVID. Extra planning was needed. Livestream is something that has been added to our weekly schedule. Masks and people staying away from in-person gatherings detract from the celebratory atmosphere. Even “Chreasters,” who we enjoy seeing twice a year, are missing from our Sunday morning service. And if we are gut level honest, we may even link our own assessment of our “success” to the results of such a morning. All of this can add to the post-Easter blues.
I know you have probably read or heard this a hundred times, but it is worth hearing again. Galatians 6:9-10 says, "Let us not become weary in doing well, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." If we do not need to hear reminders like this, God would not have put them in his Word for us! Read it a couple times. Let it sink in. Remember who you are in Christ. You are his child. You are loved. He has created you with a purpose. He has called you. This is also a good time to remember and reflect on the “gospel ladder” that Nate shared at District Conference 2019. Starting from the top, remember who God is, what God does, who we are, what we do.
As his word and the gospel refreshes your soul, remember to pass it on. Thank the staff and volunteers who poured so much into this past week. Encourage them with gratitude and stories from the week. It will be good for your own soul also. This is a time to lead through the valley. Take a little time to enjoy still waters and green grass and then lovingly continue to lead those in your flock on to deeper encounters with Christ and with others. There will be difficult times ahead and probably even more adjustments necessary along the way. Where we were, is not our destination. The past is behind us. Let’s move forward with anticipation and eyes wide open to new opportunities God is placing in front of us for increasing gospel impact!