~ by the Pastor and guest writers ~
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Easter Gospel (March 24, 2005) Soren Kierkegaard, that gifted Danish theologian of the 19th Century, once wrote and proclaimed these penetrating words: "If the Christian gospel ever loses its ability to shock us ... then it becomes a superficial thing, capable of neither inflicting deep wounds, nor healing them." Those Kierkegaard words, are they not on target? If the Easter announcement from the graveyard does not still electrify and amaze us... if the deep truth of this day has become bland and superficial with easy alleluias and discount victory celebrations... if the shocking news of Easter does not yet jar and even wound us deeply, then it may have lost its power to heal the deep brokenness of our lives. I note with great interest that Matthew's Gospel mentions an earthquake on the day of Jesus' death. And, I note that on the morning of the Resurrection, the evangelist, Matthew, refers to an earthquake moving the great stone from the entrance to Christ's tomb. The earthquakes of Good Friday and Easter... maybe they point to the birthplace that happens within each of us when we experience the powerful meaning of Christ's new life in us. Make no mistake about it. Our Christian faith is born in the very center of God's great Easter shock. There were no Christians on that first Good Friday... only defeated admirers of a dead Master. Then comes Easter. Then comes the announcement from the graveyard, "He is not here. He is risen." It is that shaking and shocking headline news, which gives birth to Christian faith. The first Christian church building was the empty tomb. The first Christian congregation is that company of Easter women and men who experience the emotional conclusion that Jesus, who was dead, is alive again. We have heard and experienced, together, the life-changing Good News of Easter. The shocking news from the graveyard is that Jesus the Christ is not here; He is risen! He is alive again! Forever. And this living Lord Jesus Christ seeks to relive his life in you, today! Yes, the Easter Gospel is more than the ones according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. There is now the "fifth gospel"... the gospel according to you. As a ninth century saint from Assisi, Francis by name, is reported to have said, "The fifth gospel, the one according to your life, may be the only gospel your neighbor ever reads." May we never recover from this Easter shock and, may the peace of the Risen Lord live within us, always!
 "Maundy Thursday: A Tenebrae Service" (March 11, 2005) What's on your calendar for the evening of March 24, 2005 at 7:00 PM? A movie? Dinner with friends? Last minute errands you need to run? How about doing something counter to what our culture offers and spend some time in a different kind of worship service? Change your schedule with your family or friends and come experience the last few days of the life and passion of our Lord in one evening. Our Maundy Thursday service will be special this year and we are reaching back into the ancient practices of the Christian church to remember a time of darkness in the life of our Lord and his disciples. "The Dark Hours: A Tenebrae Service" will be based on the music of Lani Smith and the text by Joseph D. Rojahn What will you experience at the Tenebrae Service on March 24? Coming from the Latin, Tenebrae means “shadows” or “darkness.” It is so called because of the gradual extinguishing of shadow-casting candles throughout the service. The original Tenebrae service goes back to the very early centuries of the Christian church. The concept of increasing darkness during the service will be used and the presentation and reading of Gospel narratives by six readers. Interspersed between the readings will be vocal music performed by the choir of First Presbyterian Church. By the time the last choral number is begun the only light remaining in the sanctuary will be a single spotlight on our sanctuary cross. After the last number is sung, the light on the cross will be extinguished, leaving the sanctuary in complete darkness, in commemoration of the hours Christ spent in the tomb. After a moment of silence and prayer the light on the cross will return, symbolizing Christ’s coming resurrection. We will then leave the sanctuary in silence. In a world filled with noise the Tenebrae service is an alternative time of quietness, beauty, and darkness. If you are looking for one of those worship services that focuses on your needs and an emotional high, then this service will not offer that. This is not supposed to be a happy service, because the occasion is not happy. In my opinion too much of what passes for worship today is “happy worship” and has succumbed to the notion that what I want and what I can get out of worship are more important than thanksgiving for what God wants. This service will not entertain you but if you open your eyes and hearts you will experience the last hours of Christ in a most moving and emotional way. I hope our sanctuary is packed on March 24. It will be if you give up something for Lent and enter the darkness of this time. Bring your family, friends, and neighbors. We will hear the Gospel, celebrate Holy Communion, and listen to some wonderful music.
Stops Along the Way (March 2, 2005) The journey of Lent this year takes us to some interesting places. It began in the wilderness at Mount Sinai and then in Judea. We find ourselves in the company of Moses and Jesus who have been led into these desolate places by God. This past Sunday we listened to how God called Abraham and Sarah on a journey to ventures they could not see. Nicodemus travels to meet Jesus at night. On February 27 the people of God will stop for water and an unknown woman will meet Jesus at a well seeking the real water of life. All these are stops along the way during Lent. The journey of Lent is long—40 days. How are the travels for you thus far? Are you taking time to stop along the way to be refreshed? In our Lenten home studies we are traveling the prayer paths of Jesus and its remarkable where he went to pray, where Jesus stopped for a while. If you are not participating in these studies I invite and encourage you to be present for the “other” stops along the way. There are three more Sundays in Lent to journey: February 27, March 6, and March 13. Palm Sunday is March 20 and begins a week of journeys and stops. During Holy Week we will have a special Maundy Thursday Service of song, prayer, Scripture, and Holy Communion. “The Dark Hours” is a Tenebrae service. Coming from the Latin word meaning “shadows,” Tenebrae depicts through the extinguishing of candles and the dimming of lights in the sanctuary the flight of the disciples and the approaching crucifixion. We will worship at 7:00 PM on Thursday, March 24. On Good Friday our week continues at 12:00 Noon and on Easter we will worship at 7:00 AM with our sunrise service. At 8:00 AM on Easter morning the youth of the church will serve breakfast and our morning worship will be at 10:30AM. The spiritual discipline during Lent is to hear God’s call, to stop along the way, to stay and wait. In the waiting we discover we are not alone—Moses and Jesus wait with us—while God is at work for our freedom and our joy. For those who have not been here for a while we miss you and need your company. Lent is no solo journey and we need the company of others. Some of us may be tempted to quit, to leave this journey. The children of Israel grumbled and wanted to return to Egypt more than once, rather than stay. Think of what they would have missed by leaving and going back! With each other we can journey well and trust God to lead us.
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