Christ the Lord is risen today—alleluia! He is alive—God is alive, and I refuse to keep Him in a neat fundamentalism-box! After a marathon of church (Thursday-Sunday) this week, I've began to feel real again—the realness C.S. Lewis described in The Great Divorce. Sometimes Lutrens (ya sure) scoff at the whole Faith by Reason deal and I suspect that is because often times churches ignore the liturgy, glaze over the meaningful aspects of being in Christ and the — quite literal — fire of God.
Easter Vigil will never be the same for me. Shoe procured a fire pit from an undisclosed location and we lit that puppy up like a good old hick fire. The Candle of Life was lit by this fire (see pictures), but unfortunately, maybe it was God's little joke, but there was about a 40 knot wind coming from, well, everywhere. We weren't so concerned about lighting the church on fire as much as lighting the pastor and assistant pastor on fire. It took all four pastors to light the stupid candle. Although flaming white robes would've been very dramatic, I think we prefer our clergy un-singed as well as un-hinged.
Shoe always brings exuberance and realness to his sermons and last night's did not waver in the howling wind nor in the face of the modern-fundamentalist evangelical-Christians and quite frankly the world. One of the things I love most about Bethlehem Lutheran is that they juxtapose relevant and prevalent issues into High Church—even on high Holy days—this is the modern Christianity that the world needs, not a rock show.
In my four or so months of attending Bethlehem Lutheran church, I have come to feel again, both joy, terror and Christ's strong, scared hand engulfing mine. So often we ignore the sprouting faith within us, as I have for some time, being churchless and all, but to turn our backs to the voice and Grace of God is just silly, and selfish.
Today leaves me feeling that my allegiance—my faith—to Christ has been re-affirmed and re-secured. And it is a good feeling. Happy Easter from the Lutrerns, ya sure!
I like the imagry of the "Fire" of God. Candels are nice, but really we're not talking about something you can extinguish with two moist fingers. Our worship service feature a song I never heard before..."Hellow Hurricane" which made the point that not even a hurricane of death could stand up against the power of Christ, who in those three days not only experienced the process of death, but death itself. And, having gone to the depths of hell, he took back the keys, unlocked the door and ascended shattering the whole mess. It is truly finished. Photos look like you're refreshed and renewed. My prayers are answered.
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