Song for Sunday: The Day of Resurrection

The day of resurrection!
Earth, tell it out abroad;
The Passover of gladness,
The Passover of God.
From death to life eternal,
From earth unto the sky,
Our Christ hath brought us over
With hymns of victory.

Our hearts be pure from evil,
That we may see aright
The Lord in rays eternal
Of resurrection light;
And, list'ning to His accents,
May hear, so calm and plain,
His own "All hail!" and, hearing,
May raise the victor strain.

Now let the heav'ns be joyful!
Let earth her song begin!
The world resound in triumph,
And all that is therein;
Let all things seen and unseen
Their notes of gladness blend;
For Christ the Lord hath risen,
Our Joy that hath no end.

                                        ~John of Damascus, 8^th century; 

                                           translated by John M. Neale

Have a most blessed and joyous Easter!!!

*Photo by Jordan Parry

The Cross

The most sacred Christian symbol.

It's actually a tool of execution, so wearing one is a bit like wearing a miniature replica of the electric chair. 

But, it was made holy by the death of Jesus.

A sad thing, but a beautiful one. We don't really need to be sad, we know the end of the story.

"And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain."

What does the Cross mean to you?

*Photos by Jordan Parry

Sadness and Joy

Maundy Thursday.

The name comes form the Latin "maundatum" meaning commandment. Before His death and resurrection Jesus ate a "last supper," the Passover feast, with His disciples.  He gave them, and by extension all of us,  a new commandment. It was that they love one another. A marvelous commandment and a tough one. It seems so easy, until we get into the day to day drama of living and interacting with each other. But even then we are to do it. 

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  ~John 13:34, Jesus speaking.

Maundy Thursday ushers in the saddest commemorations. We reflect somberly as we remember the increasing darkness of the Passion. 

Just four days ago, we celebrated a bright and hopeful holiday, Palm Sunday. In a few days, we will surrender ourselves to the unbounded joyousness of Easter. We know that that final Passover began as  a party. But right now, we think of sad and horrifying times. Times of betrayal, abandonment, crucifixion and death. 

They were necessary to our salvation. Jesus did all this for us. If just one of us had needed his atoning sacrifice, He would still have died. He loves us that much -- and we are to love each other that much. 

Some churches and traditions put a lot of focus on these remembrances; others do not, figuring that we are living in resurrection times. 

Well, we do live after the Resurrection. Christ rose or, Paul tells us, all of our hope is in vain. Very true. 

Still, Christ did die for us, a horrible death on a cross. He gave his life to open the doors to God's kingdom. I think that's worth remembering. 

The joy of Resurrection Feast is all the greater when we remember what went before it. 

What do you think?