HOLY SATURDAY Reflection Janice MacLean He has made my flesh and my skin waste away, and broken my bones, he has besieged and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation; he has made me sit in darkness like the dead of long ago. … But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ~ Lamentations 3:4-­‐6, 21,22 This is the day Jesus “descended into hell.” (From the Apostles Creed.) It is a day etched in poetry, art and medieval theology. (There is not much trace of it in the Gospels.) The images and icons show Jesus releasing the lost and unsaved. What was Jesus doing in hell? Why did Jesus descend into the depths of the human condition where there is nothing but raw pain and utter forsakenness? Cynthia Bourgeaut in her book, The Wisdom Jesus, says this is the day that lets us know Jesus sat surrounded by agony and anguish and the full pain of the human condition. He sat there in hell, “not judging, not fixing, but letting it be in love.” This is beautiful. It means we are not alone in our deepest places of pain. It means Jesus honours by his presence the hardest things of life (and death) “neutralizing them by his love.” It means our place of resurrection always abides in a tension of opposites. Today, with all who lament, our feet are somewhere between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. So we wait. A time for silent meditation Easter 2013 -­‐ Maritime Conference, The United Church of Canada ARTIST: Ned Gannon "EASTER TURNS EVERYTHING INSIDE OUT AND UPSIDE DOWN" Song God Is (Inspired by Matt Fillier preaching at the opening of the Maritime Conference Centre.) Song co-­‐written by The Message (Nthan Beeler, Sara Campbell, Vikki MacLaughlin, Steven Spencer) Here is the song: God Is. There's a voice that's calling I can hear it A change is coming But I won't fear it A world of wisdom wrapped up in that awesome sound And the world is spinning all around me to re-­‐awake and re-­‐astound me But this I know, we're standing here on sacred ground And as the song says: "We are found" God Is We Are Not Alone So we hear the guns from a distant war And we hear the cries from a distant shore Far for now but getting closer day by day So should we stand and should we fight Should we turn our backs? Should we do what's right? Easter 2013 -­‐ Maritime Conference, The United Church of Canada Or in the end, should we simply walk away But in the darkest night we say God is We are Not alone We wait for morning Wait for spring Wait for hope that dark can bring But through a sacrifice we say Love resurrects us every day There's a voice that's calling I can hear it A change is coming but I won't fear it God is We Are Not Alone •
What invitation is there for you in the words "Love resurrects us everyday?" What other words stir your heart? EASTER DEVOTIONAL THE GLORY OF EASTER’S MUD-­‐LUSCIOUS WORLD PREPARE Have a copy of e. e. cummings’ poem ‘in Just-­‐spring’ available. If possible, set up your computer so that it is ready to show one of these YouTube videos: e.e.cummings balloonman ‘in Just spring’ – the poem narrated by the poet www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA836Ax7scw In Just – e.e. Cummings – the poem set to guitar music by Matt Nassar www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy_s4HTz16c Easter 2013 -­‐ Maritime Conference, The United Church of Canada Find a quiet place, preferably well lit by sun or another source of light. Be seated comfortably, so that you are facing the light. FOCUSING: Read the poem, more than once. Pause over the words or phrases that catch your attention. [in Just-­‐] by e. e. cummings in Just-­‐ spring when the world is mud-­‐ luscious the little lame balloonman whistles far and wee and eddieandbill come running from marbles and piracies and it's spring when the world is puddle-­‐wonderful the queer old balloonman whistles far and wee and bettyandisbel come dancing from hop-­‐scotch and jump-­‐rope and it's spring and the goat-­‐footed balloonMan whistles far and wee Easter 2013 -­‐ Maritime Conference, The United Church of Canada Watch and listen to the poem as depicted by the videos. Pause the video on the images that catch your attention. What feelings, memories or connections are prompted by the words or pictures? Which words brighten your mood? Which images enlighten your thinking? ENLIGHTENING: DO NOT READ a biblical version of the story of Jesus’ resurrection. You know this story! Instead, retell the story to yourself, from memory. Retell the Easter story in a way that has meaning for you and in such a way that you could share the story with integrity with someone who needs to hear a little good news. REFLECTING: The central story of our faith begins in darkness. Human beings, with our limited vision, tend to dislike the dark and equate it with all things sinister. We wonder as we grope along in the shadows of our greatest fears and the gloom of our deepest pain, what is waiting to trip us up? However, if we can reach past our superficial fears, we can become aware of a mysterious, powerful and life-­‐giving presence. Beyond our ability to comprehend it, the power at the center of all creation never sleeps or slumbers. The wind stirs over the water; a stone rolls away from a tomb. The first product of the darkness is the light of a new dawn shining into a tomb emptied of its terrors and shining out upon a mud-­‐luscious, puddle-­‐wonderful garden. As the first disciples peered into the shadows of the empty tomb, it took a moment for their eyes and their vision to readjust. As they ran from the garden, they were filled with new joy and powerful hope, and would be forever reoriented toward the light. In the days to come, they learned to retell the story of Jesus’ resurrection such that it was received as life-­‐giving good news wherever they travelled. Those disciples became what too few of us ever become: fearless. ILLUMINATING: You may choose to repeat a word or phrase from the poem as a breath prayer or to pray the lyrics of the song, ‘Joy Comes with the Dawn’, Voices United #166 or to sit in silence, with the light upon your face. BLESSING: Blessed to me is the gift of Easter day. May the light it brings catch and keep my attention. Blessed to me is the gift of mud-­‐luscious Springtime. Easter 2013 -­‐ Maritime Conference, The United Church of Canada May the joy it brings guide me dancing through the puddles. Blessed to me is the gift of mysterious Love. May the companionship it offers send me fearless into the world. Thank you, Robyn, Nate, David, Christine, Gord, and Wendy. You offered thoughtful, inspiring and faith-­‐filled gifts to our retreat. A FEW RELATED LiNKS Here us a post with a Video of the Opening of the Maritime Conference Centre, and of the Rev. Matt Fillier's sermon which inspired Nathan and The Message. We Dedicate this Place. More about The Message And because the link didn't work the last time: Here they are again. The Muppets Ode to Joy. Nature. Beauty. Gratitude. Happy Easter everyone! "It's not just another day. It's the one day that is given to you today." Easter 2013 -­‐ Maritime Conference, The United Church of Canada