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Are You Excited for the Long Weekend?

“Do you have big plans for this holiday weekend?” I was asked as I stood in the check out line at the grocery store earlier this week. Before I could answer the person asking me the question started telling me what they had planned for this “long weekend”. First it starts; “I’m so excited to not have to go to work on Friday I’m not going to do anything Friday-sleep in, lounge around, do you have to work Friday? Saturday I’m not sure what I will do but probably finishes getting things ready for my kids Easter baskets and if it doesn’t rain maybe an egg hunt. Sunday I have my whole family coming over about 11:30 for lunch and we will probably eat more than we should. I am glad I get Monday off too so I can recover.” She takes a breath, “Do you have plans?” she asks me again.
Prime opportunity-we sometimes pray for these moments. “Please God give me the opportunity to share my faith.” We don’t ever think it will happen. God can’t use me, we think to ourselves. Here was my opportunity, this woman clearly didn’t know I was a pastor in the community in fact she didn’t know me at all, I could have said just about anything and she would have smiled and said “That sounds nice.”  
So I start my answer, “I have to work on Friday. I am the Associate Pastor at First Christian Church and there is a community Good Friday service at St Paul’s at 7pm. I am giving the message.”
I can see her expression changing, she is embarrassed perhaps because no where in her plans for the weekend did she mention going to church and she was talking to a minister…
I continued, “Anyone is welcome to come to the service. It is a service to remind us what Christ has done for us, dying on the cross, choosing to follow God’s will even when it led to death.” Saturday I don’t really have big plans, but Sunday morning our church is having a breakfast from 8-9:30 and worship at 10.”
With an expression of guilt or maybe fear on her face that I was going to scold her for not mentioning plans to attend worship anywhere. I paid for my groceries, turned to her and said, I hope God blesses you this Easter-remember First Christian Church is having worship at 10am, bring your family with you, then you will know they will be on time for lunch!
I don’t know if she will bring her family to worship on Sunday, but I do know that I was able to have an entire conversation about this exciting Easter without mentioning, eggs, bunny, and fancy dresses.
Are you excited for this weekend?
If someone were to ask you your plans- will church be mentioned or just your egg hunt and chaotic family dinner plans?

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