So this will be the first ‘digital’ Easter ever.  Right?

Crazy to think that this Easter will be the 2nd craziest Easter in history.  (The first Easter, of course, was by definition the craziest Easter ever.)  Church buildings around the planet will be empty on Easter Sunday.  All of the productions and plays, music and lights – gone.  All of the pomp and circumstance, the hype and the dressing up and eggs, bunnies, and chocolate – gone.

And maybe it’s better this way.

Over the last few weeks, families have had to CHOOSE to worship.  Yes, many churches have put their services online, but I’d argue that doesn’t necessarily make it easier for people to worship.  In fact, it may be harder.  It sounds crazy to say that, but it may be more difficult to worship in our living rooms than it is to drive to a different place to worship. Because when I worship in my living room, I feel like I’ve somehow invited God into my space instead of me showing up at His.

Theologically I know how ridiculous that sounds.  I do.  But it doesn’t make it any less true.  Or at least how it feels o

n Sunday morning.  We wake up the family, and we choose to gather around the TV.  We sing – just us.  No other noise to hide it.  We pray.  We take communion.  Our living room becomes our sanctuary, and that feels vulnerable.  There’s no buffer of the drive to another location.

Every time we gather in the living room now for food or play – we are reminded that God is here.  When we argue and fight – He is there.  When we cry and laugh – He is there.  This has become our… sanctuary.

I know how un-theological all of that sounds.  I know He is ALWAYS there, but now I’m more aware that He is there because I have purposely invited Him here.  The ottoman is both a place to put our feet and a place to kneel for communion.  And maybe that’s too sacrilegious, but then again maybe it isn’t.

Maybe that’s how it should be.  How it was supposed to always be.

Maybe this is not the Easter we wanted, but it is the Easter we need.

We need to invite the resurrection of Jesus into our homes.  The resurrection of Jesus matters in my living room MORE than it does in some building that happens to have the name ‘church’ on it.  Maybe we need a resurrection of our faith.  Our hope.  Our marriage.  Our children.  Our priorities.

Maybe this Easter will not be the worst Easter ever but instead will be most needed Easter ever.

And maybe empty churches will remind us of an empty tomb that promises a full heart and full life.  And maybe our living rooms will become cathedrals of praise and our front porches places of proclamation.

And maybe that will be more than enough.