Low Sunday

I find myself on preaching duty this Sunday. It's known as Low Sunday and if you google asking what  it means it says: After all the joy of celebrating Christ's resurrection, the Sunday after Easter can seem like a let down.  Some call it Low Sunday because attendance often decreases along with worshippers' enthusiasm.

Our pastor asked me to preach a few weeks ago but then talked with me last week in some panic.  He could find no one available to lead the service and had only just been able to locate a musician.  While I am prepared to lead (though out of practice) I was thankful I wasn't  responsible for the music as well! So it looks as though attendance will be down....it's just vital that our enthusiasm isn't! 

I am given free reign for text and theme and have brought together Matt. 28:11-15 with Rom. 10:8-13. It's a first for me.  Matthew's account of how powerful people start a conspiracy theory is not normally part of the Easter message but how necessary it was for the religious leaders to construct a counter story to the resurrection.  They knew that if they killed the story that Jesus is risen then they would kill off hopes of his lasting impact.  And the story they construct that soldiers fell asleep and disciples stole the dead body is a credible story.  Much more credible that claiming a dead person had come alive!

My link with Rom 10:9 emphasizes how critical the true story is: If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  I am still working on the sermon for Sunday but its title is: EVERYTHING THAT'S IMPORTANT DEPENDS ON THIS.  It does!