Putting out the dock. Raking the leaves off the emerging flowers. Putting away the snowblower and hauling out the lawnmower. These are the rites of spring for some of us. For others, the rites of spring began with the holy procession on Easter morning — and it continues through this delightfully joyous season. We sing “Alleluia!” every week and feel a lightness of being alive. The frilly dresses and pastel neckties and straw hats with ribbons are donned as we mirror the freshness of the spring.

I’ve been at a conference recently where we looked at how to more completely — as in all of our living — mirror the freshness of our faith. Being Christians is more than just attending worship on Saturday night or Sunday morning, although we are learning more and more that this is a very important part of our healthy development as human bodies. Being a Christ-follower is an all-day everyday life choice. We choose to conduct ourselves in such a way that people know we are Christians by our love, by our love. The way we comport ourselves Monday through Friday, even on Saturday and EVEN on Sunday afternoon ought to be no different in intention than we do on Sunday morning.

And, I don’t mean you have to wear your Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes all week.

As we look at an order of a Sunday morning worship, we find a call to community, a joyful start of the hour, a few moments of reflection on our human failings and then an assurance of pardon and second chances. There is opportunity to hear stories and interpret them in our unique current context, to expand our thoughts to those outside the walls of our worship space, and to contribute to the benevolences of the needy. More singing. More hand-shaking and hugging. An end of the experience with blessing. What is we thought about each day we live having that same rhythm and those same opportunities!

We are called to be disciples, and we are called to make disciples. We can accomplish neither call by keeping our faith to ourselves. We are called to community as we open our eyes with each new dawn. We most often choose to begin joyfully — at least until we read the morning news or turn on CNN. It is at that point when we confess, ask for forgiveness for how we have let the world turn away, and remember with fresh resolve that we still have the opportunity and empowerment to do something about it!

And so we continue in the day. We read the papers, we consult with “experts” around the coffee shop or water cooler, we interpret our stories as new circumstances propel us to open our eyes and minds and hearts to freshness. We contemplate our place in the world and do what we can to make someone else’s life a little easier — with a check to a charity, a smile at a stranger in the grocery store, a wave at the neighbor across the street. Every wish for goodwill for another is a mission gift.

And we sing.

We may not sing out loud, and heaven knows that public singing is no longer condoned — except in the seventh inning stretch. We don’t even get to sing the National Anthem any more ­— there are soloists hired to do that for show. So, if nothing else, in your head or in the shower or in the privacy of your personal vehicle, S-I-N-G! You will feel good. I promise.

Being a Christian is more than being a church member. Being a church member, I think, helps us to be better Christians because in community we discover companions for our journey. As you continue to celebrate this joyful season of Easter, give thanks for the gathered community that you complete on Sunday mornings, and introduce yourself to the members of the scattered community you help to connect as you welcome the spirit of Christ in each face.