As Easter rapidly approaches I am in awe at how blessed we are to be a part of Canvas Church. It would be easy to see Easter as just a grand event that churches do to take advantage of a heavily attended church weekend and bolster their numbers. However while some of that may be true in some aspects the motivation is anything but for us at Canvas Church.
It is definitely a high attended weekend. Many people will only come to church for Easter and Christmas. This is why we do all that we can to preach the gospel and bless people during Easter. It is our hope that through creative services and outreach that many who may only attend one or two services a year would hear the gospel and their lives would be forever changed in that one moment and they would become fully devoted followers of Jesus.
Jesus knew how to preach to a crowd. In Mark 6:30-44 we see the story of the feeding of the 5000. We think Easter is a big event now, but Jesus was the event of history. Multitudes flocked to see this Teacher who healed people, taught the scriptures as if he had written them, hung out with sinners the religious prohibited associating with and was one of the most controversial men that many of this time had ever heard about. Jesus’ fame had spread throughout the regions and the crowd showed up wherever he went. Jesus did not waste the opportunity when they showed even though the disciples thought maybe he should leave and save teaching for another day when it was not as crowded.
It says that when Jesus saw the multitude, “He was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.” This is the point of Easter weekend. The masses will come, whether to Canvas or another local church because it is a holiday to celebrate. Jesus died for us, so that we could experience a life abundant in him, but he did not just die but he was resurrected so that we could know that our old self can die and we have new life in Him. He is not a dead God but He is in heaven interceding on our behalf and he will come again for His church! On Easter, we should not see the events as a spectacle and wait for church to go back to normal as the disciples may have wanted to do that day Jesus stayed, Instead we should be moved with compassion to teach the Word and love on people as we have been called to do.
Jesus’ compassion did not just end with teaching, but he understood that people do not only have spiritual needs but have very real physical needs. Mark 6:35-37 says, “When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.’ But He answered and said to them, ‘You give them something to eat.’” That is why we do our egg hunts. It is our charge to bless our community. Maybe it is just an egg hunt that is fun and may not provide for more dire needs, but I believe that it is going to be significant and so much more as we do this to show our community that we care and love them the way Christ loved the multitude.
I hope you can be a part of this incredible weekend. We have so many areas to get involved whether you show up at a prayer walk and invite people to Canvas that way, stuffing eggs, donating prizes and actual help the day of. Don’t miss this opportunity to show the love of Christ to our community and see many lives transformed because we were moved with compassion for San Diego to know the knew life that we celebrate this day. For more information on how you can be involved email us at info@canvaschurchsd.com
Live Life Extraordinary,
Alayna Mills
