The Year of Living Rhythmically #2
April 8, 2009
One week from this Saturday, the Eastern Orthodox Churches will begin their Easter Vigil, known to them as Pascha. This ceremony begins late on Saturday night and stretches into the wee hours of Easter morning. The faithful who have fasted throughout the season of Lent, and some who haven’t, gather together to worship Christ and re-live his resurrection.
Each year the Orthodox Church re-reads the same sermon for their Paschal celebration. There is no innovation, no coming up with a better idea for next year, instead they rely upon a sermon penned by the 4th Century church father, John Chrysostom. It not only celebrates the resurrection of Christ but it also highlights the wideness of his mercy, the universality of God’s grace.
Even those who come late to the fast are invited to the feast.
- 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!
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2 Comments to “The Year of Living Rhythmically #2”
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I appreciate the liturgical emphasis of some many of the posts on Missional Order. I am seeing much more value in these things than I had realized they had. I was not raised in a liturgical church. I can see how liturgy can easily become meaningless ritual and maybe it is more likely to become mere ritual if you are raised with it. For someone like me though it is all very new and fresh. I also think that discovering liturgical practices AFTER having gained a pretty sound biblical and doctrinal foundation gives them greater depth of meaning.
I wonder if many of our non-liturgical churches have not thrown out the baby with the bath water. Solid preaching and teaching should not be replaced by liturgy but I think each can benefit from the other. Maybe the lack of a liturgical tradition and the link it gives to past (and to so many other christians) creates a vacuum that gives rise to the “faddish” worship, teaching and doctrines that seem to always be making the rounds.
It makes sense that substantial worship and “sacred rhythm” are foundational to our commitment to continuous formation and missional engagement.
I think you may be right. The baby has been thrown out with the bath water. However, it seems that a proper appreciation of the church year, hourly prayer and the liturgies of the church would lead one to a deeper appreciation of all that God has done and is doing in all of our lives.
The fact that the Jews celebrate Passover each year, and some without their hearts really in it, doesn’t negate the importance of that ceremony. Neither should liturgy that has been engaged in half-heartedly be set aside.