CEO's Welcome Here

CEO's Welcome Here

There’s a little joke in Christian circles, we’re careful who we tell it to, but we call folks that come to church only on the important holidays, CEO’s. Christmas and Easter Only’s.

The implied dig is that they must not be very serious about their relationship with God if they only come to church on the high holidays, and then just to satisfy family or tradition. Of course, we, and by we I mean we clergy people, don’t want to consider that maybe it’s just that they can only handle our church or our preaching once or twice a year and that’s it.

Be that as it may, today I want to depart from my mockery of CEO’s. In fact, I’m considering putting “CEO’s Welcome Here” on our church message board. Obviously, if you don’t already know, you’ll have to come inside to find out what a CEO is.

But shouldn’t Easter be an opportunity for people to reconnect with their Savior and God, in a world where God’s existence is questioned, God’s involvement is challenged, and people’s faith is waning. Shouldn’t I as a pastor double my efforts, particularly on Easter, to present a relevant Savior in a growingly secular world. Jesus welcomed the doubters, He took on the those who questioned His Deity. He reveled in the back and forth with the self important “religious” of the day.

The first Easter I was at Bethel Bible Church, I had already arranged for a vacation over that weekend and the board seemed to be fine with it, so we were gone over the most important holiday of the faith. The husband of one of our regular attenders showed up for the first time in years, someone who I had known in childhood, and I wasn’t there. He was not thrilled about that. When service went a little longer than he expected and it was announced that we would close in prayer, there was a loud “finally” emitted from that obviously unhappy gentleman. He hasn’t been back in church since. We’ve spoken, but I feel bad about losing that CEO.

And despite the fact that a CEO might only come because of outside pressures, we never know what kind of plan God has in His appointment book. You may have come to keep grandma off your back, God may have you there because He wants to meet with you. Zacchaeus (of wee little man fame) climbed a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus and ended up getting an invite to dinner and his life was changed. God got a hold of the apostle Paul on the way to persecute Christians, of all things. Several of Jesus’ disciples were called while mending their fishing nets or another while collecting taxes (sorry, too soon?). I imagine it wouldn’t be too big of a stretch for someone to be able to encounter the Living God…in church.

So as Jesus said, and I paraphrase, “Come unto me, all ye who are weary and heavy laden, or just want to get through this thing and on to the meal, and I will give you rest.” CEO’s Welcome Here.

Pastor Steve Worsham

Bethel Bible Church of Evergreen Park 3225 96 St. Good Friday service 7pm, Easter Sunday Service 10am