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Christmas and Easter Christians

 Alan Jacobs has a truthful and helpful essay in Dispatch Faith on "C & E Christians" (not to be confused with C of E - Church of England - Christians). I think he may be a little tongue in cheek, but he reminds us not to judge them since we all are in need of grace. Here is the link: https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/dispatch-faith/christianity-easter/

I think you'll get a free read. 

I want to add to it that maybe those C & E Christians are kept from attending for valid reasons. Many people have to work Sundays. Many are caregivers. Many can't get regular transportation. I know this is not the case for most people who only show up on Christmas and Easter. I'm not sure I would call all of them Christians. In the South, they might be showing up for "Momma" or "Grandma" before the big holiday meal and not have too much interest in the practice of worship the other 363 days per year. 

But then again . . . 

This morning I sat next to a young couple with four children. Three of them were attractive blond children, school-aged. The fourth was in arms: a dark-haired boy of maybe two with Down's Syndrome. He was, understandably, squirmy and Mom wrestled with him quite a bit. He stayed unusually quiet, and I sat, amazed. The child looked nothing like his parents or siblings, and I wondered if he was a foster child or adopted. I don't know; I only know he is their fourth child. Getting to church with three school-aged children is hard enough. Add a special needs toddler with Downs into the mix--impossible. She probably didn't feel that she could leave him in the nursery; perhaps that would be too much for the child. So she worshipped, arms raised and fully engaged, with the little boy's head on her shoulder. 

Yeah. Doing this every week might be a pretty big ask. I'll look for her next week and introduce myself. She needs prayer, not someone thinking she and her husband and kids should show up more often. 

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