Cross Against the Light
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 1 Corinthians 15:55
Dear friends:
I know this is an odd time: Holy Week being celebrated online. I wrote this post a number of years ago and have posted it several times. I have updated the links.
If any of you would like to follow the Holy Weeks services online at my Lutheran church, please send me an email: dee@thewartburgwatch.com and I will give you the links. I will watch my email account closely. They even posted the bulletin so you can follow along with the liturgy.
I do not want to post the name of my church to protect them from some of thew whackos out there. I also do not speak for my church.
You will see the stripping of the altar on the Maundy Thursday service and even a loud, unexpected bang at the end of the Good Friday service. I always jump, even when I know it’s coming.
Blessings to all of you during this difficult time.
Jesus. He, Who was there at the Beginning, came to Earth, a seemingly insignificant planet located in the Orion Spur off the Perseus Arm in the Milky Way galaxy. Yet, this planet was particularly blessed for this place was the home of those created in the image of the Creator. These were a special people, dearly loved.
Enjoy this video called The Mountain by Terje Sorgjerd, which was filmed April 4-11, 2011at El Teide which is one of Spain´s highest mountains. It is one of the best places in the world to photograph the stars and is also the location of Teide Observatories, considered to be one of the world´s best observatories. You will see stunning views of the Milky Way. Think of a God who created far more than what you can see here but still loves you
Yet, these beloved people of God were strangely rebellious. They grew tired of their King and His rules. They turned from Him and a darkness settled over the planet. That is why the Light came. And so, on a day called Good Friday, a strange name for a day of execution, He was crucified by the very people He created, loved and came to redeem. The angels gasped in confusion. How does one execute the Eternal? And why? But, there was a plan. There had always been a plan.
So, they laid Him in the ground. Death and sadness consumed them. The Light of the World seemingly had been extinguished. But, just before He died, He said something curious to the thief. “Today you will be with Me in paradise.” Paradise? He was dead, wasn’t He? Perhaps they could not see it in the midst of their grief and disappointment, but soon they would learn a deep truth. In darkness there is always the Light of the World, always! But, they would have to look into the darkness to really see it.
Watch “The Aurora” by Terje Sorgjerd. He spent a week capturing one of the biggest aurora borealis shows in recent years. This video was shot in and around Kirkenes and Pas National Park bordering Russia, at 70 degree north and 30 degrees east.
Then, on Easter morning, death lost it’s final shot at victory. The Light entered the Body and He once again walked amongst His people who were no longer lost but had been found.
Unburdened by their sin, they started to dance and continue to dance because Sunday has come and the Lord of the Dance will be with them, always!
Rejoice with our brothers and sisters in Budapest, Hungary who, for many years, had to practice their faith in the dark. I visited this very square years ago as a high school student, never imagining that faith would one day be openly celebrated here. On April 4, 2010, over 1,300 young people (and a few of us older types who impressively got their groove on) all of them members of Faith Church, celebrated Resurrection Sunday.
Then, the following year, even more showed up. Isn’t that like the faith? They told a few and then a few more and before they realized it, the world changed. This one adds a little cultural dancing as well (at the 2:00 min mark.)
This dance inspired more dances all around the world. May you join in the dance of the Resurrection because
CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! HALLELUJAH!
Blessings.
Grace abounds. It is free. It is God’s gift. It is not conditional. It is not for “certain people.” It is not judged by works. And as those who have received grace, it is our sacred responsiblity to be as graceful with others as God has been with us.
The Gospel really is simple enough for even a child to understand … no theology crafted by mere men needed.
Happy Easter, Wartburgers! He is risen!!
A blessed Good Friday to all, however and wherever we pray.
Jesus of Nazareth was and is the nexus of all things visible and not visible.
Of all dimensions and of all worlds.
Of all spaces and the folded spaces between the spaces.
There was no ‘solar eclipse’ (not possible on Passover).
The fabric of reality itself began to unravel as he died, and light itself was the first to go…
From “The Jesus Storybook Bible” by Sally Lloyd-Jones:
[After Adam and Eve have left the Garden of Eden] “Well, in another story, it would all be over and that would have been… The End.
“But not in this Story.
“God loved his children too much to let the story end there. Even though he knew he would suffer, God had a plan – a magnificent dream. One day, he would get his children back. One day, he would make the world their perfect home again. And one day, he would wipe away every tear from their eyes.
“You see, no matter what, in spite of everything, God would love his children – with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.
“And though they would forget him, and run from him, deep in their hearts, God’s children would miss him always, and long for him – lost children yearning for their home.
“Before they left the garden, God whispered a promise to Adam and Eve: ‘It will not always be so! I will come to rescue you! And when I do, I’m going to do battle against the snake. I’ll get rid of the sin and the dark and the sadness you let in here. I’m coming back for you!’
“And he would. One day, God himself would come.”
Luckyforward,
Thank you. 🙂
https://expreacherman.com/
My Spanish congregation had a live Good Friday service last night via Zoom. It was BYOE (Bring your own elements) for communion, and just wonderful. I live alone and the service really lifted my spirits!
Tomorrow, if all goes well and according to plan, I will be sitting in my car, by myself, celebrating Easter. How we got the transmitter is a story in and off itself. If someone had told me two months ago that this would be how I would be celebrating Easter I would have thought them delusional.
But, because of our circumstances it may be the most inspiring and appreciated Easter service in my life. To meet in a car next to my brother and sisters whom I love and care about, it will be great.
Thank you for Father for your son Jesus!
From my daily devotions Zech: 13:2, “‘On that day, I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘I will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land. And if anyone still prophesies, their father and mother, to whom they were born, will say to them, “You must die, because you have told lies in the Lord’s name.” Then their own parents will stab the one who prophesies. ‘On that day every prophet will be ashamed of their prophetic vision. They will not put on a prophet’s garment of hair in order to deceive. Each will say,
“I am not a prophet. I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth.” If someone asks, “What are these wounds on your body?” they will answer, “The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.” Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones. Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me! declares the Lord Almighty. In the whole land,’ declares the Lord, ‘two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say,
‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”
CHUck,
Is it online? If so, please feel free to leave a link.
Linn,
Sounds awesome!!
Thank you for posting these videos by Terje Sorgjerd. They are very beautiful and calming. Wishing everyone a blessed Easter.
Mr. Jesperson,
Can I ask why you post your readings on posts here, without any explanation of how they link to the post? I’m asking because it carries – to me – a hint that people here don’t know or read their scriptures & that somehow you feel like you’re doing some kind of religious work here, on someone else’s blog. Am I wrong?
‘I do not want to post the name of my church to protect them from some of the whackos out there.’
Brilliant!
Dee, and everyone else the link to watch if you like our parking lot is below. We are not very techy.
Don’t let them name Parkway Baptist scare you off, no pulpit pounding, screaming, fire and brimstone preaching, When I was at rock bottom, going through my divorce, they were there with love and prayer and helped walk me through some long and dark valleys. Good people.
I hope we can bless some homebound folks. Stay safe.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTYIfxCpJVdP6TyUyHhPiGQ
Oh starts at approximately 10:45 for those interested.
In a quiet hour this morning as the robins sang outside my window, I got out of bed, remembered the significance of this day, prayed and worshiped Jesus. “Church” was just me and the Creator of the Universe – that’s how we met, just Jesus and me, the same way I’ll finish my sojourn on Earth. A quarantine from religion for a season ain’t so bad.
You and Mr Jesperson must be on different reading plans…
One comment removed. Pizzagate…On Easter???
Similar for me, I watched the hummingbirds at their feeder and the fence lizards warm themselves with the first sun-dapple.
I believe in magic, wishful thinking, and the supernatural, so it’s not too much of a stretch for me to believe that Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead and that he’ll raise me from the dead one day with an inheritance in Olam Ha-Ba.
For me faith and belief are not certainties, they are hopes.
On Easter, who is the true Jesus who is coming as Lord? Zech. 14:1
“A day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls. I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle.”
Verse 9: “The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.”
Verse 12: “This is the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. On that day people will be stricken by the Lord with great panic. They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another. Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps. Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain. If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.”
Dee, the title of this post is very similar to Tony Campolo’s signature sermon: “It’s Friday but Sundays Coming” I’ve heard him present it in person three times, twice in NJ and once here in Ga. Is the post title an allusion to his presentation?
Actually, Campolo “borrowed” that sermon title from an Easter meditation by S.M. Lockridge (1913-2000). If you think Campolo’s rendition of that message was something, you should have heard Lockridge preach it in its original form!! Whew! Now he was a preacher! … pastored an African-American congregation in San Diego during the last half of the 20th century.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a17rMnj4kQs
Curiously interesting. The GA presentation was at First Baptist Church of Augusta which claims to be “The Birthplace of the SBC” for a Martin Luther King Day service. Yes, I enjoyed it all three times.
As a Southern Baptist for 70 years (I’m a “Done” now), I can tell you that SBC preachers are famous for borrowing sermons from each other! In seven decades of listening to the bunch, I heard “similar” sermons preached by different pastors several times, without crediting the original message. However, in Campolo’s case, he did admit to borrowing “It’s Friday but Sunday’s Coming” from Lockridge: https://www.christiantoday.com/article/it-got-clintons-pastor-into-trouble-for-plagiarism-but-who-first-preached-its-friday-but-sundays-coming/111915.htm
As someone once said “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”
My hope is that people realize that, for the indefinite future, this is the new norm. Given the rapidly aging demographics of most churches, the lack of a vaccine or effective treatment for COVID-19, and the fact that few churches buildings are large enough for social distancing, we need to stop treating live-streaming as a temporary fix.
You wanted them so here is another: https://www.foxnews.com/us/coronavirus-kentucky-easter-church-service-nails-police-license-plates
I have been reading a book written by counselor Chuck DeGroat called “When Narcissism comes to Church.” Here is a worthy quote:
“This is about us. Indeed, we all participate in narcissistic systems. Perhaps these systems are part and parcel of the “powers and principalities” Eph. 6:12 with which we contend. Perhaps they are all around us, not just in church systems but in our corporate and political institutions, even in our social media connections and our broader tribal identifications. Perhaps this is about us, an invitation to wake up to the many ways in which certainty trumps curiosity, uniformity trumps unity, hubris trumps humility, control trumps connection, loyalty trumps love.” – Page 115
As a New Calvinist, do you reckon DeGroat recognizes that narcissism is particularly characteristic of leaders of the new reformation … or is he just picking on other religious authoritarians who have a grandiose sense of self-importance and lack of empathy for others?