Easter Sunday: Empty The Pews

I’m so tired - SO. TIRED. of seeing pastors on the news and even some in my own social media feeds who are standing in front of microphones and video cameras declaring that they refuse to close the doors of their churches this Easter.

Good God, help me.

They hit record and then go on and on and on about how this is a decision they came to after much “prayer” and the “seeking of the Lord’s direction” and that because they believe in the ability of Jesus …

To protect.

And heal.

And comfort.

And guide.

And help.

… Because of all of these things mixed in with a handful of eloquently worded Bible verses, they absolutely refuse to follow the guidelines put forth by the CDC, WHO, and other medical professionals and will move forward having large church gatherings to celebrate the resurrection of their Lord and Savor, Jesus Christ.

One person shouted at a news reporter, “we are covered in the blood of Jesus!”

Another said, “Psalm 91, just read Psalm 91 and you’ll understand.”

“God is bigger than COVID-19.”

“We refuse to back down.”

“Satan wants us to close our doors, we refuse to cave to his wishes.”

“We’re going big this year - WOODSTOCK BIG.”

I think this is such a gross misuse of the Bible and the exact attitude and mentality that Jesus adamantly spoke against some 2000 years ago. Jesus once said that one of the greatest commandments is to “love your neighbor as yourself”, he was someone who stood with the outsiders and the marginalized and the defenseless of society; he came to the aid of the poor, to the aid of the sick, to the defense of those who were most at risk to be taken advantage of by society and government.

And so, yeah - I think Jesus is shaking his head in complete disgust as these pastors get on the airwaves to declare their refusal to cooperate with the government in an effort to open their doors, put others at risk, and infect, hurt, or even kill those who are most at risk to lose a battle with COVID-19.

These pastors should be arrested.

These church doors should be bolted shut.

Church leadership should encourage their people to STAY HOME and teach them that by staying home and by choosing to cooperate with the government and CDC guidelines they are actually using their power to come to the defense of others by helping flatten the curve, limit exposure to the virus, and being an advocate for everyone, especially those who are considered high risk.

YES:

As someone who is NOT high risk.

As someone who is healthy.

As someone who is young.

… I hold the power and I can either (1) use my power recklessly by going to church and other public places whenever and however I please OR (2) use my power to keep my a** inside, protect others, and love my neighbor (my young neighbor, my elderly neighbor, my high risk neighbor) as myself.

BUT.

Here’s the thing: a lot of these churches are keeping their doors open not so much because they believe it’s the godly thing to do, but because of money.

Yes, MONEY.

People might disagree with me, but I don’t care. I pastored a church for many years and as a former pastor I know the IMMENSE amount of pressure that comes from boards and committees over you who are interested in spiritual things, yes, but are often times much more interested in the money that will …

Keep the doors open.

Pay the salaries.

Keep the lights on.

Pave the parking lot.

Fix the roof.

And (sometimes) pad their own pockets.

… Many pastors will, sadly, cave to the monetary pressure and fire up their microphones and video feeds to make big statements about “having faith to open the doors on Easter to worship Jesus” when in reality the heart behind it is to line the pews with people who will drop money in the offering plate.

Regardless of the reason why these churches are making such bold statements to open their doors on Easter, the reality is that they need to close their doors. I would argue that the best way we can be like Jesus this Easter is to stay home. By staying home to celebrate his new life and resurrection with our family, we might be aiding in giving someone else new life or a new lease on life as they are kept away from any germs we might be carrying.

Going to church this Easter is a move based on bad theology, and bad theology (literally) kills.

Share this post and let’s #STAYHOME.

Much love,