I feel a little bad posting this a couple days after the great Feast of the Resurrection, but I guess late is better than never and my excuse is that I was too busy celebrating the feast to blog. Glory to Christ, he is Risen indeed!
I know that if I write too much of my own thoughts on this it would be shamefully disjointed and wouldn't do this glorious celebration justice and so I leave you with the words of the great preacher and bishop of Constantinople: John Chrysostom. I've posted this before, but it continues to bear repeating so here is John's Paschal (Easter) homily.
Is there anyone who is a devout lover of God?
Let them enjoy this beautiful bright festival!
Is there anyone who is a grateful servant?
Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord!
Are there any weary with fasting?
Let them now receive their wages!
If any have toiled from the first hour,
let them receive their due reward;
If any have come after the third hour,
let him with gratitude join in the Feast!
And he that arrived after the sixth hour,
let him not doubt; for he too shall sustain no loss.
And if any delayed until the ninth hour,
let him not hesitate; but let him come too.
And he who arrived only at the eleventh hour,
let him not be afraid by reason of his delay.
For the Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first.
He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour,
as well as to him that toiled from the first.
To this one He gives, and upon another He bestows.
He accepts the works as He greets the endeavor.
The deed He honors and the intention He commends.
Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord!
First and last alike receive your reward;
rich and poor, rejoice together!
Sober and slothful, celebrate the day!
You that have kept the fast, and you that have not,
rejoice today for the Table is richly laden!
Feast royally on it, the calf is a fatted one.
Let no one go away hungry. Partake, all, of the cup of faith.
Enjoy all the riches of His goodness!
Let no one grieve at his poverty,
for the universal kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again;
for forgiveness has risen from the grave.
Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free.
He has destroyed it by enduring it.
He destroyed Hades when He descended into it.
He put it into an uproar even as it tasted of His flesh.
Isaiah foretold this when he said,
"You, O Hell, have been troubled by encountering Him below."
Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with.
It was in an uproar because it is mocked.
It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed.
It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated.
It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive.
Hell took a body, and discovered God.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.
O death, where is thy sting?
O Hades, where is thy victory?
Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated!
Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down!
Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is Risen, and life is liberated!
Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead;
for Christ having risen from the dead,
is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen!
Christ is Risen! Glorify Him!
8 comments:
aww :(
I was hoping to learn a bit about Western Liturgical practices for Easter...
Ha ha, whatever, you're well read enough you could probably teach me a thing or two about Western Liturgical practices.
I was thinking about going to the Catholic Vigil on Saturday, but for one reason or another I ended up not being able to make it.
But their vigil was early, like 9:00-10:00 or something like that. I found it odd that it didn't go through to the AM hours.
Alethos Anesti!
I know almost nothing about Methodist paschal liturgics. The only thing I know about Catholic paschal liturgics is from DVRing the Catholic paschal vigil last week. So in short, I have much to learn from you.
Kristy has been coming pretty faithfully this week. I like her so much and she was so pretty last night. You'd better not let her go!
Well concerning Methodist paschal liturgies, I claim in any way that I'm an authority. Though that would be an interesting topic to research.
I would assume these would take shape very similar to what you grew up with in the Wesleyan church. I also suspect that these practice are very congregation, despite the Methodist emphasis of connectionalism, as is most of Protestantism.
Here, and I think most Methodist would do the same, we focused on the Great Triduum - Maunday Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
The services take shape differently in each congregation I'm sure, but we focused on the washing of the disciples feet on Holy Thursday, the crucifixion (obviously) on Friday and of course the Resurrection on Sunday.
To talk specifically about Sunday you need to understand our church. We have 3 services (8:30, 8:45, 11:00) the latter two are traditional while the first is contemporary.
For some reason we didn't combine the services, but we did cut the Sunday school time short and and had a festal gathering on the front lawn after the shortened Sunday school hour and before the 11:00 service.
During this time we placed flowers on a cross that was wrapped in chicken wire so it became a flower cross and we also released butterflies and sang a song.
I really can't explain the butterfly thing to you too much, because I'm still understanding it. From my limited perspective I guess this is less of a Methodist tradition and more an obscure southern tradition that has a LONG standing tradition in this church.
The services were pretty much your standard protestant Easter celebration. Singing of various resurrection hymns, sermon, exclamations of praise - he is risen...(which our congregation is not very good at by the way).
Also I should mention that there was a community Easter Sunrise service at a graveyard. I did not attend this.
Does that answer your questions? I think that may be all I can give you as far as general liturgical practice among methodists.
The Great Triduum is actually Maunday Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday (Christ "resting" in the tomb, fulfilling the Sabbath). The Easter Vigil is the "bridge" connecting the Triduum with Pascha itself.
Wow a graveyard service!? Were you praying for the dead? ;)
The only time I attended Easter at a Methodist Church it was a liberal pastor. The resurrection was not mentioned *once* and the whole service focused on the "love" of God. They recited a "creed" about how God loves puppies and reindeer and humans too and that he doesn't care about your sin. Needless to say, I felt cheated.
Yeah, I forgot that Saturday was part of the Triduum, my bad.
That has to be the worst Easter service I've ever heard of! If we did that hear I'm pretty sure I'd be looking for a new job because I either wouldn't have been able to keep my mouth shut or I wouldn't be able to serve under a pastor like that.
Realistically it'd probably be both - I mean it is me we're talking about and I tend to be a little outspoken at times. =)
Well, I have to commend your church for having Holy Week services. My parents' ministerium (excluding the Catholics) had a total of exactly one Good Friday service which lasted less than an hour. So rather pathetically, no Methodist clergy person in their ministerium actually celebrated Good Friday. Needless to say, my parents felt cheated.
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