Church Hopping Easter

What does a recently retired minister do on Easter Sunday?  Sleep late?  Go to the beach and meditate?  Sit on the porch and read the paper all day?   No.  Most of us go to Church.  As a matter of fact, I went to two churches on Easter, the one I used to pastor and the one where I am a “balcony person” member.

I am not sure why I felt the need to go to both churches.  It was convenient that Greystone Church had an early service and First Baptist Raleigh the traditional eleven o’clock service.  We have friends at both places, and the very fact that we miss our three children (all far away on this Easter Sunday) seemed to propel my wife and me toward the congregations we have grown to love and appreciate.  Greystone Church is actually the daughter of First Baptist, so there is a family thing going in our attendance at both.

I am glad I did some church hopping.  Not only did I find inspiring and enlightening worship and sermons at both churches, but I felt the Easter spirit of renewal and love in both places.  Before the start of the early service, I complained to an old friend about missing my children who are scattered from Maryland, to Colorado, to California.  She invited my wife and me to their home for dinner with her family! Then at our next Church stop, one member we’ve known for just a few months reminded us of a supper party at her home this week and even invited us to their New Year’s Eve party---just eight months away!

Both pastors, Dr. Randall Lolley at Greystone  and  Dr. Christopher Chapman at First Baptist, said in their sermons that they could not produce empirical evidence of the resurrection.  “It is beyond our senses,” said Dr. Lolley.  “It was not recorded on video,” stated Dr. Chapman.

Indeed, the message of Easter and the resurrection cannot be proved by science or historical fact.  Neither, I suppose, can “love” or spiritual transformation.   Yet, I experienced plenty of both in the renewal of old friendships and the hospitality of new found friends on this church hopping Easter Sunday.