Back in my first parish I became acquainted with a retired pastor. He became kind of a mentor to me and he was very helpful in helping me become a better pastor. I remember one day, we were having coffee, and he asked me, “How many “CEFers” do you have in your congregation?” I looked at him with a blank stare and he said, “Christmas, Easter, and Funeral members. They only show up on Christmas, Easter and Funerals.” I laughed and said, “Yes, I’ve got a few.

“There’s plenty of them in every congregation. I actually feel kind of sorry for them. They create a false sense of security. They think if they show up a few times a year at church, they are in a good relationship with God. The truth is they have no relationship with God at all. They have simply created a false narrative and they think that’s all God expects from them to get into heaven.”

I took a sip of my coffee and he continued, “Jesus said, ‘If you want to follow me pick up your cross and follow me.’ We also see Jesus going to worship each week. We remember Jesus words, ‘Not everyone who calls Me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.’” I nodded my head.

“It is about COMMITMENT! It is about being FAITHFUL! It is about LOYALTY! COMMITMENT, FAITHFULNESS, and LOYALTY to a CHRIST-LIKE LIFE! If a man got a job and he only showed up three times a year, that man would never have a job. He would be FIRED! Too many people have been told by
too many churches that being a “CEFer” is enough. The truth is that Christmas and Easter can only truly be celebrated by those who have committed themselves to Jesus Christ; by those who truly understand that Easter is God’s pronouncement that Christ’s death on the cross has paid our debt in full. Until a person understands that, believes that, and turns his life over to Jesus Christ, then Easter will be only a time to put on a show for those who don’t believe.”

I learned a lot from that retired pastor and so I hope that those who worship this Easter are not just “CEFers” but that they are people who have COMMITTED, BELIEVE, and TRUST their whole lives to Jesus Christ, not just three or four days a year, but 365 days a year. See you on Easter and all the Sundays that follow.

Veritas - Curt