Preacher, you don't have to "knock it out of the park" this Easter Sunday.

We need to acknowledge the unique pressures that preachers are facing this Easter, on top of ordinary Christian Super Bowl pressures. Our people/world desperately need resurrection hope; indeed, there is no proclamation better suited for these COVID days. This is why we preach.

And a sincere love for the flock will make us eager to preach something "special." But what's always true of preaching still applies: make contact, get on base, faithfulness > "success." Our people need steady, fully present, "been with Jesus" preachers, not anxious performers.

Besides, we're exhausted, as depleted by the loss, adjustments, and chaos of this season as our flock (for parent-pastors read: schooling your kids and home) -- and dealing with the weirdness of preaching to an empty sanctuary or a dang computer screen.

And here's the great thing about our faith: We don't do Easter as religious holiday. Every Sunday is Resurrection Sunday, every Day an arena for resurrection hope. And the very thing urges us to make Easter *big* in these COVID days should compel us rather to make Easter *long*.

So just make contact with the ball. Despite what it feels like -- again, love will make it feel so all the more -- we're not at the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded. We're somewhere in the third inning. And we're all last in the rotation. ;)

And you know what? Your Father will be well pleased with your RBI sac fly.