Cap's Corner: Easter egg hunt moves to Blackwell Event Center

I know it seems too early to be thinking about Easter – or even the Easter egg hunt – but it isn’t. In past years, this event has been hosted at our church, The First United Methodist Church. But this year, and hopefully for many years to come, we are moving it to the Event Center at the fairgrounds.

There are several reasons for this move. The main reason for me is that I have always wanted this event to be an ecumenical one. At this time, the most Holy time of the year, I want every Christian church to set aside their differences from one another and come together in our core beliefs: that Jesus is the Son of God, that He was crucified for the forgiveness of our sins, and that He was resurrected three days later on the very first Easter Sunday. I want us to be able to celebrate these with our kids.

It has always been my dream that each and every church in Blackwell would come together to celebrate the greatest of all miracles. However, I also am aware that some may have been reluctant to join us because it has always been at our church. Many may have felt uncomfortable, and understandably so. This has been my main motivation for us to move it to the Event Center.

Not only am I praying that this will encourage other churches to join us, but I have also recognized the challenges of parking at our church. On top of all of this, we now have a beautiful Event Center and surrounding grounds. We might as well use it as often as we can.

My goal is this: By moving the event and encouraging other churches to participate, we are hoping that at least one representative from each participating church can come together as a committee and organize this event each year.

We certainly have room for the Chamber of Commerce, the city, and any other organization to help out. But I truly want the Easter Egg Hunt to always be organized and supported mostly by the churches in our community. Jesus did not die for the United Methodist Church or any denomination for that matter. Jesus died for all, and that all is community.

I also would like to invite the fire department, the police department, and maybe even the National Guard – how cool would it be for kids to get to climb around on some military vehicles?

I also want to invite other organizations to be there to help and inform our citizens. Organizations like Circle of Care, the Cub Scouts, the library, the hospital, DHS, the Health Dept., and maybe some other organizations that I cannot think of right now.

If you, your church, or your organization would like to be a part of this year’s Community Wide Easter Egg Hunt, please call our office at 580-363-4080. If we do not answer, please leave your name, the organization you represent, and a good number to call you back at.

Now, I want to write about something different, but something that is so much more important. Last Sunday, my wife and I were under a spiritual attack. For many of us Christians, we know and understand what this is like, and often these attacks are often brief and singular. However, Monday morning, I received a text message from a fellow Christian who told me that Sunday night, they had been under a spiritual attack. On its own, it is not that strange or anything unusual. However, over the past couple of days, I have felt this attack more often and with something akin to a sense of a repetitive urgency.

There is something more going on than the occasional spiritual attack. I feel deep within my spirit that it is not just a few who are under attack, but there is an all-out spiritual assault on our city and on our citizens.

I know it is not unusual for our city to go from one crisis to the next crisis. Wait a minute! Just think what I just wrote: “It is not unusual for our city to go from one crisis to the next crisis.” This community – Blackwell and the surrounding areas – have some of the kindest, most loving people that I have ever known. I have often pointed out that Charlotte and I were floored and thankful that, right off the bat, we had been accepted into this community with welcoming arms and love. And yet we go from crisis to crisis? Does this sound normal for loving and kind people to interact with each other on a regular basis? Of course not!

It is my utmost belief that, for the past several months or years, the very soul of our community has been spiritually compromised. I have written about this before, and I will continue to write about it until this spirit of division, this spirit of oppression, and this spirit of depression and hopelessness is broken once and for all.

It is time for all believers to pray the blood of Jesus over our community, to pray for peace once more, and to pray that the Spirit of the Living God once more reigns here.

I will see you at the Easter Egg Hunt!