Coming Back to Life?

A lot of obituaries have been written about denominations for the last decade. Most conversations involving denominations include the words decline, irrelevant and disconnected. To be fair those words would be in most conversations involving local churches but that is a topic for another day. What are the signs of life? Where are the grave clothes being cast off?

Easter Sunday is a great opportunity see the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV) in action and to remind ourselves who we are. More than 1400 BGAV churches spread across the commonwealth and the mid-atlantic will invite people to worship our Risen Savior. Most pews will be full and there will be evidence of the Spirit at work. If we are not careful we might slip into a “graves clothes” conversation. This conversation says things like, “It is sad they just come on Easter Sunday.” “I remember when the church use to be full like this every Sunday.” God is inviting us out of the grave this Sunday – don’t stay in there!

When we start a “life conversation” it will get chaotic and exciting real fast (i.e. read the book of Acts). There will be some former ways that we will need to leave behind. New life will emerge (and we are definitely seeing signs of that in BGAV life!) There will be great challenge. But in the midst of all of that there will be LIFE! I’m tired of decline and death conversations. God is calling us to life this Sunday – will we recognize that call?