Featured Church Easter egg hunt??

I'm with you on that Glen:thumbsup:

 

Thanks Tom .... not that RT is wrong in his thinking, 'cause everyone has an opinion, but the teaching about Easter being about Jesus' resurrection is what is important. I think the egg hunt and even giving of baskets can be shown for what they are, while emphasizing the true meaning we gather to celebrate Easter.

 

No they don't. Those who believe in Him shall never dye.

 

Alas....it is vastly becoming part of the fabric of churches today...can't wait till Halloween.

BTW....I'm adding this to my list of questions to prospective churches I'm visiting with.

 

What I observe, and I have raised kids like everyone else, is the ad nauseam endless threads about unscriptural holidays. If you do not like the holiday, then do not observe it, and let those who see nothing wrong with it observe it. First it is endless threads about New Years, then Halloween, then Christmas, the Easter, and so the clock ticks, year after year, the same posters the same comments. Its like the movie Groundhog Day. Come to think of it, maybe you should start a thread on the evils of Groundhog Day, and don't stop there, include the 4th of July, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. We could start a thread for the 4th of July, "Was It Against Scripture to Rebel Against the King of England?"

Someone said it best in the above post. It is harmless fun to hunt Easter eggs. As long as Christ is the center of the activities what difference does it make? Again, it is worth repeating, if the tradition bothers you, and you apply Scripture in a manner that prohibits Easter egg hunts, Christmas tress Christmas presents, silver bells, chestnuts on an open fire, staying up till midnight on New Years, then run your family that way. Just don't except others to follow your misplaced judgment. It reminds me of the KJVO people. If you want to read the King James that's fine. Just don't expect me to. I have read the Bible several times, and I loved my kids like anyone else does.

It seems to me that cherry picking verses to combat each and every holiday is being like the Jewish leaders in Biblical times. Memorize a rule or law, then apply it to your life through your own power. Instead we are suppose to be lead by the Holy Spirit and become more like Jesus each day under His direction and power. IMO all the fussing and fuming about holidays is hogwash.

 

Where is the ear itch medicine?

Gal. 4:8-11, New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition.

"Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods. Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits? How can you want to be enslaved to them again? You are observing special days, and months, and seasons, and years. I am afraid that my work for you may have been wasted."

The message is the same in Old English or Modern English.

We are so conformed to the world that the world sees no difference. We will give an account.

On the other hand: a lot of folk would be out of work without seasonal consumerism. What ever happened to: "seek first the kingdom of God?"

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Bro. James

 

For what its worth...from Wiki


Easter Eggs

Easter is a religious holiday, but some of its customs, such as Easter eggs, are likely linked to pagan traditions. The egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring. From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus’ emergence from the tomb and resurrection. Decorating eggs for Easter is a tradition that dates back to at least the 13th century, according to some sources. One explanation for this custom is that eggs were formerly a forbidden food during the Lenten season, so people would paint and decorate them to mark the end of the period of penance and fasting, then eat them on Easter as a celebration.

Easter egg hunts and egg rolling are two popular egg-related traditions. In the U.S., the White House Easter Egg Roll, a race in which children push decorated, hard-boiled eggs across the White House lawn, is an annual event held the Monday after Easter. The first official White House egg roll occurred in 1878, when Rutherford B. Hayes was president. The event has no religious significance, although some people have considered egg rolling symbolic of the stone blocking Jesus’ tomb being rolled away, leading to his resurrection.

 

"One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself."
~Romands 14:5-7 ESV

 

How do pagan symbols and rituals honor God?

All scripture must harmonize. There is nothing unclear about Gal. 4:8-11.

Worldly worship revels in the flesh and offers it to God--a stench for a sweet smelling savor.

As long as we are sincere, everything will be all right.

Bunk.

Moses was denied the promised land(not salvation) for failure to follow orders exactly.

Time to repent and do the first works--in Spirit and in Truth.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Bro. James

 

IDK about you, but I find I'm far far more bound to wander from God over the pleasures and distractions of life than I am a holiday that has been refurbished to remember Jesus' sacrifice. I find Christmas and Easter are more of a help than a hindrance in my Christian walk--they get me reading Scripture and reflecting on it, more of a time of renewal in my faith and relationship rather than pushing me further away like most of the things in my life.

The passage you provided convicts me more in the area of serving the god of laziness, or the god of internet than anything else.

Regarding paganism, believe me I've been aware since childhood the origins of our major holidays. My stepdad made sure of that, though that never stopped us, or him, from celebrating them.
I've been observing this very same debate over on my main forum, too. (It's a yearly tradition. lol) I really don't care enough about this subject to argue about it anymore, I came to a conclusion a while back and I'm secure with it. Neither do I wish to cause someone to stumble by trying to disprove their conviction.


But I suppose this subject is more about the traditions associated with Easter rather than the holiday itself, as the two are not necessarily mutually inclusive. I find nothing wrong with them myself, I see it as simple harmless fun. Even if I am too old now to find much personal enjoyment in it...so if I do participate in these activities, it is to spend time with family or to help my church (since they use events such as Easter egg hunts as a chance to spread the gospel) and not something that is really prone to become an idol. Unlike reading fiction or browsing forums.
Neither do I think that they were once pagan makes any difference since those religions aren't really around anymore, meaning I won't be mistaken as a practitioner of those religions. And because I don't believe it is possible to accidentally worship a pagan god who doesn't exist anyway.

But that is just me, I'm not here to insist that the way I see things is always correct.

 

Many posting on this thread have no doubt given the "go ahead" on church egg hunts

Let me ask a question

Suppose your egg hunting preacher left your church and the Lord God led you to another-------more conservative pastor-----and you and he knows that the annual church egg hunt is fast approaching

The pastor comes out of his anti-egg huntin' closet and announces----there will be no egg hunt this year or any other year as long as I am here

We need to see of the bunch of pro church egg hunt people submit themselves to the authority of the undershepherd

But would they??

 

I hate to say it but what I have seen quite a bit of is the
"under-shepherd" bowing to the authority of fellowship councils, boards, and deacons. Something I am not favorable of. While I would acknowledge that we are all one in Christ, we also see an establishment of authority which typically centers on Theology. The Pastor should be someone competent in handling the Word of God by which he can properly nurture the fellowship he has been given charge over. Unfortunately, oftentimes there is an encroachment of worldly issues, the mundane, which I think can interfere with a proper authority balance. Doesn't mean I think the Pastor should reign as king, lol, but, I do think that there should be a respect reserved for his authority, much the same way I feel the husband should hold that final place of authority in a marriage. Again, doesn't mean I endorse a tyrannical approach, it just places someone in that place...

...where the buck stops.

And I think most of us are comforted knowing we have someone we can look to, much like the comfort a child should have in knowing that mommy and daddy have everything under control. The analogy is relevant in the case of new believers, who desperately need an authoritative leadership they can trust.


God bless.

 

Huh, if there was a church where a pastor was making a big deal about hunting Easter eggs, demanding he get his way, I would run, not walk as fast as I could far, far away.

 

This sets up a false dichotomy. Also, why would any church allow their pastor to harm an outreach opportunity like this is beyond me...why any pastor would do it is, likewise, beyond me.

Since I'm the senior pastor where I get to serve, I'm not thinking this going to change.

There is a whole discussion about submission to pastoral authority to be had, but I suspect in most churches this kind of person wouldn't get near the pulpit and the search committee would recognize other qualities that would remove them from the search process. If a senior pastor were to have a change of heart and decide to do away with them, most church members wouldn't care and be fine with it. Easter Egg Hunts aren't a hill on which most of us are willing to die.

 

And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Matt. 19:28

Will there be an established Easter egg hunt?

 

If I could attend a church that didn't host Fall Festivals without having a problem with that, I could attend a church that didn't host or participate in Easter egg hunts without having a problem with it.

Sent from my KFSOWI using Tapatalk

 

Great answer. If a pastor made his case for a change, most Baptist are good with almost any change.

 

Ok. So promoting pagan idolatry (easter, eggs and all) is great for "church" growth, so its fine? Pure Pragmatism. Baptists have, historically, stood against the Roman Catholics calendar. No more!

 

You're right. After the kids collected the Easter eggs, we had them bow down to them. I can't believe you were able to see thru our attempt to introduce pagan idolatry... we thought we had hidden it better.:laugh:

 

You are right, Baptists are so ignorant of their history and of the truth that YOU as a silly fool mocked a child of God!!! Mock MORE!!!!!!!!!!