featured article from the march 2004 issue

Invitation to Intimacy
by John C. Havens

How do you react to a sermon when you're touched by what's being said? Do you give little grunts of appreciation, maybe even a vocal “amen” when the Spirit really moves you? As silly as it may sound, I some-times find myself getting caught up in the types of sounds I'm making—will my vocal ministrations cause the person next to me to stumble? Am I being distracting? However, I find that when I'm most convicted by a message I'm struck silent, my concern for propriety overshadowed by an awareness that God is trying to get my attention.

I experienced such a conviction a few weeks back during a sermon given at my church. The topic was on intimacy with the Savior, and as we near the Easter season, I'm reminded of how essential it is to truly commune with the Lord rather than just go through the motions. During major holidays such as Christmas and Easter, it's easy to get caught up in the pageantry and spectacle of celebration while ignoring the central truth of the Risen Savior in our hearts. Our drama, as well as our lives, should reflect the core presence of Christ so that the intimacy we experience can be shared with everyone we meet.

Quick—ask yourself what was the last big spectacle you saw. Perhaps it was The Lion King on Broadway or The Lord of the Rings with Dolby Sound. Whatever the performance, does the word “intimate” come to mind when explaining your response? Probably not. This is an essential point to note when creating drama for Easter, as a large portion of attendees for your service may not know Christ as their savior.

Many churches, understandably so, pull out all the stops for their Easter pageants and feature huge choirs accompanied by booming organs. And certainly, the awesome aspect of God's saving grace is aptly represented in a feast of sight and sounds.

But picture yourself as a nonbeliever at such a service. How much of the central message of Easter comes through in the lavish spectacle that normally takes place in most churches? There is a danger that these “seekers” may get caught up in the emotion of the day, but not leave with any substantive message to stir their hearts and resonate within their souls.

Enter the drama team. Working in conjunction with your pastor and choir director, thorough-ly examine your Easter service and ask yourself how clearly the gospel message is communicated in your program. Many times people will argue that you don’t want to hit people over the head with the gospel message, and if this means you want to form relationships with seekers rather than proselytize, that’s one thing. However, if this is an excuse to water down the message of the gospel for fear of offending viewers, it’s time to reexamine your priorities. You are a church, after all, and it is Easter Sunday.

We often forget that Christ emo-tionally challenged, even offended, many of his listeners. The Pharisees were so riled by his message that they worked to have Christ put to death. The rich young ruler walked off in great sadness when Christ asked him to give up his posses-sions. The woman at the well reacted in shock and surprise when Christ pointed out that she had had many husbands. The point? Being confronted by the convicting, all-knowing presence of God is uncomfortable and difficult. People don’t like to be reminded that they’re sinners. But it is through this conviction that God nudges us back into a closer rela-tionship with him. By eradicating the darkness in our lives, we can move more fully into the light of his all-encompassing love.

As with all things, pray for God’s wisdom in planning your Easter service so that his glory will be manifested in your program first and foremost, as opposed to a focus on earthly opulence. You may find that his still, small voice will resonate more with members and guests when the focus is on intimacy versus pageantry. Communion with Jesus in a personal, vulnerable relationship will lead to celebration in Heaven as well as on earth.