The great Paschal Easter festival is upon us, the affirmation that beyond the ups & downs of penitence and prayer comes the annual celebration of God’s Steadfast Love. “Arise, my love, and come away, for the winter is past” (Song of Solomon ). In earlier days, catechumens preparing for reception into the Church would spend the Eve of Easter in a vigil of prayer and song; “the night is departing, the day is approaching; therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us gird on the armor of light”. (Romans 13) Scriptures for Easter Sunday help us to sing about this audacious message, even in the turbulence of current events!
Jeremiah 31:1-6 are words of consolation from God to Israel, and we have appropriated them as spiritual successors. I especially like the 4th verse, “Again you shall take your tambourines, and go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.” It gives me comfort to remember that this was uttered in the dark days when Israel was in political decline and ethical laxity. Even THEN, God’s desire was to express a steadfast love to these recalcitrant believers. It musta been Beyond their Wildest Dreams.
The Apostle Paul spent a great many words attempting to bring a semi-systematic doctrine of Resurrection. To the Colossians he wrote, “When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.” (3:4) Impatient with waiting, expecting every day to hear that the Rapture has happened, members of the nascent Church were disappointed that the Evil Empire remained so powerful. Paul & other preachers told their hearers to move on from earthly concepts to the visions “that are above”. (v.2)
John’s Gospel account of the First Easter (20:1-18) addresses all the fears and doubts of the gathered Church by the narrative of Jesus’ closest friends who couldn’t make much sense of the whole process. Feminists, take heart! Only Mary hung around to see what the new day would bring. She had the greatest quantum leap of them all: not many years ago, she wouldn’t have believed such intimacy possible. This upside-down Easter even was Beyond her/their Wildest Dreams… It reminds us that Holy Encounters come as a gift, whether or not we attempt to see them rationally.
Clayton J. Schmit says that “the resurrection upsets all expectations, and the only way to apprehend it is to come and see that things are different.” (FEASTING on the WORD, A 2:371) Many will attend worship this day defying God to make things “different”. Others will come hoping to see life in a different & expanded mode. Still, others will recognize that the Risen Christ has been hosting their souls for quite a while. Whatever your perception, I wish you a Blessed Easter!
God Bless Us, Every One Horace Brown King
My thoughts about lections for the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook, or at horacebrownking.com
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