Saturday, March 22, 2008

Christ is Risen!

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

In researching the origins of joyous Easter greeting and response that I have heard Lutherans use, I stumbled upon the Paschal homily or sermon of St. John Chrysostom (c.347– c.407). The homily is read aloud in every Orthodox Christian church on the morning of Pascha (a.k.a "Easter" in the West).

The Homily

BEGIN: Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

If anyone is devout and a lover of God, let him enjoy this beautiful and radiant festival.

If anyone is a wise servant, let him, rejoicing, enter into the joy of his Lord.

If anyone has wearied himself in fasting, let him now receive his recompense.

If anyone has labored from the first hour, let him today receive his just reward. If anyone has come at the third hour, with thanksgiving let him keep the feast. If anyone has arrived at the sixth hour, let him have no misgivings; for he shall suffer no loss. If anyone has delayed until the ninth hour, let him draw near without hesitation. If anyone has arrived even at the eleventh hour, let him not fear on account of his delay. For the Master is gracious and receives the last, even as the first; he gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour, just as to him who has labored from the first. He has mercy upon the last and cares for the first; to the one he gives, and to the other he is gracious. He both honors the work and praises the intention.

Enter all of you, therefore, into the joy of our Lord, and, whether first or last, receive your reward. O rich and poor, one with another, dance for joy! O you ascetics and you negligent, celebrate the day! You that have fasted and you that have disregarded the fast, rejoice today! The table is rich-laden; feast royally, all of you! The calf is fatted; let no one go forth hungry!

Let all partake of the feast of faith. Let all receive the riches of goodness.

Let no one lament his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed.

Let no one mourn his transgressions, for pardon has dawned from the grave.

Let no one fear death, for the Saviour's death has set us free.

He that was taken by death has annihilated it! He descended into hades and took hades captive! He embittered it when it tasted his flesh! And anticipating this Isaiah exclaimed, "Hades was embittered when it encountered thee in the lower regions." It was embittered, for it was abolished! It was embittered, for it was mocked! It was embittered, for it was purged! It was embittered, for it was despoiled! It was embittered, for it was bound in chains!

It took a body and, face to face, met God! It took earth and encountered heaven! It took what it saw but crumbled before what it had not seen!

"O death, where is thy sting? O hades, where is thy victory?"

Christ is risen, and you are overthrown!

Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen!

Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!

Christ is risen, and life reigns!

Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in a tomb!

For Christ, being raised from the dead, has become the First-fruits of them that slept.

To him be glory and might unto ages of ages. Amen.

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Wow… that sermon is no less powerful today than it was sixteen hundred years ago!

This week’s question: What church tradition awakens, or stirs, the Holy Spirit in your soul?

Your brother in Christ, Dave

3 comments:

  1. When I was a little boy my dad served a congregation in Mission Hill, SD. Every Sunday morning we began our worship service by singing "Holy, Holy, Holy!" To this day, every time I hear that song, I am deeply moved by the spirit pulling me back to those days and filling me with that same sense of awe and wonder that stirred within me as a little boy new to the faith. What a blessing that is to this day. Our God is an awesome God!

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  2. As some of you know my brother Larry is desperately fighting against cancer that is ravaging his body. On Friday, his wife Marcie sent out a message that said, “On Easter we are not going to talk about chemo or radiation. We will focus on the promise of the resurrection and the joy we share as a family blessed by Christ.” On Sunday, Pastor Dan spoke of being “Easter people in a Good Friday world.” All of us who are battered and sometimes broken by this world know what he meant. We cling to the promise of God embodied by the risen Christ, we give thanks to God for the blessings we receive despite the sin in our world and within ourselves. Like my brother and his family we look to the light in the midst of the darkness.

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  3. Yes! We are Resurrection People in a Good Friday world! That has been playing and replaying in my mind since Easter Sunday. I am "waiting on the Lord" for the desire of my heart--and this idea that it's Friday, but Sunday is a'coming (a great line from Tony Campolo) really helps me cling to Christ with hope while I wait. God is good all the time. All the time God is good.

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