More than a Moment
By Julie Hawkins, Pastor of Ministry
Easter Sunday has come and gone, but what we witnessed here at Chapel Hill last week is not something that fades with the calendar.
Over the course of our Easter services, more than 100 people raised their hands to commit their lives to Jesus. Each one of those hands raised represents a unique story, a unique journey that led to being here at the church last week. Each story is a life that encountered the living Christ in a personal and meaningful way. This was not a moment of hype. It was a moment of surrender, of clarity, of response…a moment of quiet prompting by the Holy Spirit to respond to Christ’s invitation.
At the Wood Wall, Pastor Rachel and I had the privilege of placing Bibles directly into people’s hands and hearing their stories in real time. It’s one of my favorite parts of my job. Some people were returning to faith after years away. Others were encountering Jesus for the first time. Some had tears in their eyes. One man said, “God’s been after me for a long time. Now is my time to take him seriously.”
There is something profound and grounding about those exchanges, handing the Word of God to people who have never held a Bible before. It’s in these moments that I am reminded that these are not abstract decisions, but real people, real conversations, real beginnings, all with eternal significance.
Last week felt like a celebration! The worship was beautiful. The music served the moment well, a proclamation of praise to our God. And it created space for people to respond, to reflect, and engage with what God is doing among us.
But here is the critical point that I don’t want us to miss: Easter is not the finish line. It is the starting point.
The resurrection of Jesus is not an annual event we revisit once a year. It is the defining reality of every single day of our lives, every single week of our worship. Jesus is alive! He is risen! That truth does not change. It continues to shape who we are and how we gather.
So, let’s keep going! Let’s continue to worship. Let’s keep inviting. Let’s keep digging into God’s word together. Let’s keep making space for people to encounter Jesus. Because what happened on Easter is still happening. And we will continue to worship our risen Lord together!
Pastor Julie