Thanks for an intelligent and articulate article that has given me much cause for reflection over this Easter season.

You don't get it one bit.

I don't think Jesus is one bit pleased with the piousness and religiosity of this opinion piece, and I say this as a devoted follower of Jesus reading the same Bible that you read.

How much of what you proclaim as "right" is Biblically prescribed?

Go ahead, dismiss me as a "literalist" but God only gave us his Word and in it prescribed a way of being his ekklesia, his kingdom-agents, in this world - and what you have prescribed in this article is far, far from it.

Let's embrace the lost in community, in our homes, into our lives - not seek to win the lost by piously going through a series of liturgical loops to a religious orgasm at the end.

Halle Loot Jar. The movie, with Ms Berry.

Given that Jesus didn't die on the cross, wasn't reborn at all and was later buried in one of many suggested sites as an older man it is quite right that the Easter Bunny should be taken seriously by the Church as a whole. All fantasies should be encouraged until people are intellectually mature enough to cope with facts.

I still am the Easter bunny, as I am Santa, once a yeat for both, aren't you?

Religion! Goodness sakes people, it's the 21st century and still no God or messiah seen. Time to wake up yet? Nope, just keep swallowing the pap and the biscuits.

"god" this man is so boringly one dimensional and also full of sentimental nostalgia---and so unconvincing!
The fact of the matter is that churches are realy no different to any other corporation in this day and age---they provide a consumer product. They provide some entertainment and perhaps a bit of consoling "meaning".Some "religious" hopefulness to fill up the emptiness of our normal everyday dreadful "sanity". TS Eliot's hollow every person.
Traditional catholic churches provide a multi-sensual theatrical performance which when well done could perhaps invoke something of the Divine Mystery. They were pleasure dome palaces--full of splendour and celebration.

"traditional" Protestant churches by contrast were/are cold and austere places--very grey in their tone. They were in effect court houses where one was "judged" by a stern and pleasureless vengeful "father" deity. No pleasure, no beauty or ecstasy allowed.

Sells talks about fear. Where there is fear there certainly is no possibility of love, or pleasure, or ecstasy, or celebration, or self transcendence---none whatsoever.

By contrast Real God is the God of ecstasy, of unbounded feeling, of rapturous chanting, of unbounded love, of Love-Bliss-Radiance.

True Religion is the esoteric science, or luminous sacred process of direct, and directly ego-transcending, investigation of, or enquiry into LIGHT itself. The method of True Religion is devotional surrender of the total body-mind of the "investigator" to and into LIGHT itself, and ultimately to the degree of oneness with the inherently Indivisible LIGHT itself.

All that arises in and as Consciousness is Beautiful!
Therefore, all of this arising and passing of conditional forms and beings Is Sacred!
All of This is Beautiful!
All of This is Self-Existing (As Consciousness) and Self-Radiant (As Primal Energy Itself, or Light Itself---Which IS Happiness Itself)!
All of This Is Sacred!
All of This Is Beautiful!
And So Be You!

Happiness is the now-and-forever Mystery that Is the Real Heart and the Only Real God of every one.

Happiness Is the Conscious Light of the world!

The author demonstrates why people have voted with their feet and now pack non liturgy churches as well as home churches. It is life that Christ came to bring not some liturgy which was introduced a long time after the resurrection of Christ.