My Easter Song

Ok, Here’s the scoop…
I don’t believe in evangelism and also don’t promote church attendance even though many see attendees as my dads source of income. It’s not. My dad is cared for and provided for by God. Just as the rest of creation.
This is what bothers me… Show offs, hence the reference to bonnets, and guilt ridden people who are pushed to attend by their relatives and friends. If you’re gonna go to church you should go for the right reason, to worship.
The song came from my own observances which I’ll try to explain now.
In the late seventies my dad left the “traditional” church. He was a Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor. He started his own church and some “traditional” folks followed him there. On Easter and Christmas we, mom, dad and I, noticed a lack in attendance because our members returned to their roots on those “special” holidays. They just had to satisfy their relatives and “do” church with them. In the mid 80′s our members started to bring their relatives to our non-denominational church. I saw it, and still do, as useless. I don’t believe you can save yourself or your family… Only God can do that. He chooses His people. I believe we are saved by Gods grace, not any action of our own. We can not contribute to our own salvation so any claim of ours would be “works righteousness” and negate the power of Gods grace and sacrifice.
Now for the funny part… hehehe
One Palm Sunday we had a packed house. We always filled the church every sunday but this was extreme. Lots of visitors. I went right home and wrote the song.
Later in the week, being quite proud of it, I took my guitar to my dads office and played it for him. He loved it. Then he told me I should play it in church on Easter sunday. Now, I’m not a person afraid of conflict but I knew this was going to stir some up. After some discussion with my dad I agreed to do it. He wanted the message sent out and to be honest so did I.
That sunday I started off by humming the Easter Parade bit while playing some nice blues chords. The congregation, now hanging from the rafters, hummed along. hehehe I had them goin’. Then I sang the song.
Sometime during the second verse a couple of our regulars got up and walked out. They had done a really good job of guilting their relatives so there was an Easter Parade right behind them. Some folks stayed for the rest of the song, not to be rude, and then they left. We were really left with the “core” of our membership who, just sayin’, liked the song and have always supported me.
In the days after that Easter my dad was visited by many of the members who walked out and I’m happy to say most stayed on and I hope understood their faults with regards to who God wants worshiping Him. Church is NOT a social gathering place unless people make it to be. In that case God wants no part of it and won’t supply it’s needs.
My dad will not allow fund raising, bingo, pot luck dinners etc… and has never passed the offering plate or discussed money from the pulpit and yet has never been late on a bill or failed to help in times of need anyone who we knew needed help, even non-members.
Church is for the purpose of worshiping God for our own good. A place for us to learn about Him and do the things He leads us to do.
Now you know the rest of the story.