Easter Continued at Middle Cross

It took us a while to find a church where actual preaching was taking place on Easter Sunday. Most churches were do cantata, which there is nothing wrong with that, but Christmas and Easter should be the pastor's time in the pulpit. How many jokes have you heard about C & E (Christmas and Easter) Christians? Yet those two major days in the Christians life those people are only hearing the choir sing a medley of songs. Not that songs and music don't have their place in our worship service, but not the whole service on those days. The crucifixion and Resurrection is the basis of our salvation and we are not going to let the pastor preach because we have always done a cantata? I think every pastor in America should have been behind the pulpit preaching today. This is the one and only day that some people find themselves at church all year long, and they hear singing. Personally, cantata aren't my thing. One church I practiced for 2 months with the choir to sing, then got sick and couldn't sing. I was in the audience the day of the cantata and couldn't even understand the words they were singing...and I knew the songs. This is the reason that Charles Stanley and others have the words floating down at the bottom of your television screen. Enough of my preaching on subject of preaching vs. singing on Easter.

The worship service at Middle Cross Baptist Church was just beautiful. There was praise and worship music, a special solo by Marks cousin, Phyllis Taylor. Which was just a beautiful song. The choir sang "Because He Lives", which is led by Mark's cousin, Melissa McKenzie and David preached a wonderful sermon. His sermon was taken from Acts 1 starting with verse one. He preached on "Unfailing Proof of a Resurrected Lord", if I have my title correct. One thing he said was how Christ revealed himself at least 11 times to people after he was resurrected. One time to a crowd of 500 people. I am sure that made some doubters of Christ turn to believers that day. I thought about this as he preached, wouldn't we as Christians be more effective if a dying world really saw the resurrected Christ in us?? This is what I mean, we play church and good Christian on Sunday...we say and do all the right things at church, then act like the devil Mon-Sat. Is there no wonder we don't reach the lost. We can't be one thing at church and something different at home and work. I often wonder when people say I can't get my spouse to come to church, I have been praying for them for 25 years...I often wonder how their testimony is at home. Does their spouse see a difference in them or someone who is just all talk at church, you can't reach them if they don't see some evidence of a living Lord living inside you. Just a thought. I am sure you can tell from this blog and those in the past, that evidently I have ran across some "so called Christians" in my life. I have seen people just bash and try to destroy fellow Christians, and it has made me stand offish, leery and down right non trust worthy when you say you are a Christian. I guess I am like Thomas....I want some proof. Don't tell me that you are a Christian, let me see it in your words, actions, the way you conduct yourself outside the church setting. Well, I guess I am preaching again instead of telling you about the great service I went too. David did a wonderful job, and it made me want to preach my two cents worth today as well. Middle Cross is a nice church with wonderful people there. We have known David and Sherry (the pastor and wife) for over 20 years. They are just down home people who love the Lord without compromise. David preaches the Word with no apologizes. You ought to visit them some Sunday. You will be glad you did. Happy Easter 2010 to all who reads this.

Middle Cross Baptist Church located on Lucas Rd in West End, NC.

Rev. David Reynolds, Pastor