My mom has a friend who went to her college reunion. It turns out that this friend went to college with and graduated with the one and the only, Warren Buffet. That's right, this friend of my mom actually went to college with the multi-billionaire in Nebraska, even though she never knew him while she was at the school. What a small world, isn't it?
Anyways, while she was at this college reunion, she couldn't resist the chance to have her picture taken with Warren Buffet. So she approached him and asked him whether he'd be up to taking a picture with her. Warren Buffet agreed, but my mom's friend had one more request for the picture. She wanted him to pose with her by leaning over to her as if to whisper financial advice into her ear. And oddly enough, Warren Buffet was amiable to that idea as well. So the two of them posed and Warren Buffet leaned over to whisper some grand financial advice into this woman's ear. At that very moment, the picture was snapped and this woman has a keepsake picture of Warren Buffet leaning over whispering something in her ear.
But here's the catch, in that moment, Warren Buffet actually did whisper some great financial advice into her ear. What do you think it was? What sort of financial advice do you think Warren Buffet would whisper in the ear of a former college classmate? Warren Buffet whispered this genius financial advice into her ear, "Buy low. Sell high." That's it. But if you're playing the stock market and you're able to follow his advice, you're set and undoubtedly you might even approach the likes of Warren Buffet one day. Sometimes, the most obvious advice is also the best sort of advice.
So in approaching an unusually early Easter on March 23rd, we anticipate celebrating the resurrection of Christ and what God has invested in our lives as a result of that history-altering moment. I mean, if there's ever a time to go to church, then Easter is it! This, however, isn't just limited to us as followers of Christ at GracePoint. Part of our cultural heritage and ethos here in the Merrimack Valley is one of celebrating Easter. It may be a force of habit. It may be a force of nostalgia. It may be a force of family time. But celebrating Easter has this sense of significance among people who surround us, even to the point of where area schools giving the day off for the Friday before Easter. Celebrating Easter is interwoven into the fabric of the rhythm of life for many people all around us.
So with that in mind, here's some rather obvious advice: invite some of these people to GracePoint on Easter. Easter will be the culmination of a series called, At His Table, where we'll see how Jesus revolutionizes the meaning of sitting at his table. And the Easter encounter of Jesus at his table in Luke 24 reassures us that God's promises are sure, no matter what our circumstances may be whispering in our ears. Ryan is developing the service experience as a whole, while Dave is styling some of the music to include more musicians. KidsTown is designing an Easter experience for the kids that will be fun and engaging as they learn about Christ's resurrection.
Easter Sunday will also be when we will highlight our next sermon series which begins the following week. In the series, Reel Theology, we'll see where God and film intersect in some recent blockbuster movies. I believe this combination will form a potent draw to retain some of our friends, neighbors, co-workers and acquaintances to extend their stay with us and discover more of what following Jesus is all about.
So let's make a point to invite people to our Easter celebration at GracePoint. Pray and ask God to guide you to the people whom he would have you invite. In mid-March, we will be providing you a variety of tools to invite people. At the service on Sunday March 16, you will receive a postcard to use as an invitation tool with people you run into. We also are designing an email that you can use as a personalized evite to other people whom you have contact with over email. Or you can simply verbally invite people without any of those tools.
Taking the obvious advice with you,
