Easter will be here before you know it! One of the most difficult things about ministry is the very few number of days between Sundays. Wouldn’t life be easier if we had a 10-day workweek? I think I would teach better lessons, lead better worship, and play more fun games. And holiday weekends add even more anxiety! It seems like teaching on Easter would be the easiest day, but I feel more pressure than normal to hit a home run.
If you’re organized enough to have things squared away weeks ahead of time…bless you. For the rest of us, here are some last-minute Easter prep tips to help you experience the fullness of Easter.
Last-Minute Easter Prep Tips
1. Nurture your own soul.
Spend a few extra minutes these next two weeks reading and meditating on the Scripture, reflecting on the Holy Weekend, and inviting the Spirit to heighten your spiritual senses. Read John’s account of the crucifixion and resurrection in John 18-21. Invite the Spirit to open your eyes and heart and take you to a deeper love for and trust in Jesus. Remember, you can’t lead students where you aren’t willing to go yourself.
2. Focus on the story.
The story of Jesus doesn’t need bells and whistles to be compelling. The truths of God’s love, our sin, and the beauty of the redemption story have been drawing people to Jesus for 2000 years. Settle on what the Spirit is leading you to teach your group during Easter weekend before you look for creative elements to support it. Make sure the gospel story is the centerpiece of your weekend.
3. Make time for the Spirit.
Work hard and do good planning. But don’t plan so much that there’s no room for the Spirit to do the hard work in people’s hearts. One of the fatal flaws of a good production meeting is the attempt to eliminate all “dead air” in a worship gathering. But purposeful silence can be a powerful space for the Spirit to speak deep truths into the lives of students that we’re often not smart or insightful enough to come up with on our own.
I know this isn’t rocket science, but as you wrap up your work week and look towards the most significant act in human history, set your anxiousness to the side and soak in the love of the God who created you, knows you, died for you, rose for you, and sends you to live and reveal his kingdom to a world who desperately needs hope.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!