We worship the rising of the SON. I attended a sunrise service this morning AND I was able to stay for the entire service, no rushing away to get back to work! It was beautiful. At the beginning, everything was bathed in a brilliant moonlight and gradually, the sky began brightening, lighting up the blooms on the dogwood trees and the birds began to sing. The speaker played the guitar and sang and then spoke the appropriate words from the Bible. (The sun, the moon, the sky, the birds, the blossoming trees...all of these were part of this service too!)
Anybody else remember the episode from "Star Trek" where they visit a planet and the creatures who live there worship the sun? They are puzzled by this until Lt. Uhura is able to surmise that it is not the SUN that they are worshiping, but the SON of God. I loved Star Trek, didn't you? I loved how so many people were able to get along from different countries, cultures and sometimes, even from different planets!
Here it is Easter Day and I am telling you about something from Star Trek!
On Easter day, I always think of Mary Magdalene saying "I have seen the Lord!". I think of how she would have said that with strong conviction but with such a sense of wonder that the Lord should appear to her and not to one of his chosen followers. There is a song in the Episcopal hymnal and it is called "The First Ones Ever To Know".
The first ones ever, oh, ever to know of the rising of Jesus, his glory to be,
Were Mary, Joanna, and Magdalene and blessed are they, are they who see.
Oh blessed are they who see the Lord, oh blessed are they who see.
They were Mary Joanna and Magdalene and blessed are they are they who see.
Lovely post Kay, I loved Star Trek too, mourned the death of Leonard Nimoy who will ever be Spock.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I was sad to learn of the loss of Leonard Nimoy. What a great character he gave us in his Mr. Spock.
DeleteHappy Easter !
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you always!
DeleteKay, That sounds like a perfect service. Happy Easter to you and yours, xoxo,Susie
ReplyDeleteIt was wonderful. Happy Easter to you, my friend! xx
DeleteHappy Easter! xx
ReplyDeleteThe same to you, Amy! xx
DeleteYou had a truly spiritual experience.
ReplyDeleteI think that is certainly true.
DeleteWe had a lovely sunrise service, too. The weather cooperated and we didn't get rain until well into the afternoon. Blessed Easter to you!
ReplyDeleteOh good, I am glad!
DeleteJust watched a biblical programme here called "David Suchet : In the footsteps of St Peter" that you might like if you can find it on BBC i player. Very interesting journey by the well known actor all round the landscapes of the bible. Cant beat Star Trek and open air celebrations watching the sun/son rise. Happy Easter.
ReplyDeleteIt seems I have heard of that show with David Suchet but I haven't seen it. You are quite right in thinking that would be a show that would like! I love David Suchet, he is a great actor but he is also a Christian who talks openly of his faith.
DeleteWhat a beautiful way to celebrate this wonderful day. I love Easter. I love that He Lives...and to add to your story of Mary seeing the risen Lord I always feel the love and comfort when he calls her name...just like he knows each of our names that love him. Happy Easter!
ReplyDeleteYes! I love it that she knows HIM when He calls her by name!
DeleteJesus IS Risen! Happy Easter.
He is Risen indeed!
ReplyDeleteAlleluia!
DeleteJust a few days ago, I read an article in a Christian magazine (free supplement once a month with my weekly paper) about Magdalene. How the church changed her image, how she was often depicted much different from what the evangelists actually say about her, and so on. The article also pointed out how it was the women who stuck with Jesus to the last, while the men fled the seen when he was arrested. The women went there to look for his grave, the men never dared go near the place again! So the women were rewarded with the first encounter of the resurrected Jesus, and of course the men wouldn't believe them at first.
ReplyDeleteEven later, when they found out the women had been right, female members of the first church were relegated to second row.
Anyway, I did not intend to go on an uncharacteristically feminist rant here, Kay, sorry! I love the idea of an early morning service, where everything around is part of the experience, and I am glad you had the chance to be there! Happy Easter Monday to you! (Another holiday here in Germany; work starts again on Tuesday.)
..."while the men fled the scene" it should have been, sorry!
DeleteI have read several sermons and posts about this same subject.
Deletehttp://www.crosswalk.com/home-page/todays-features/mary-magdalene-witness-of-christ-s-resurrection.html
There, I don't know if you can copy that link and read it, but you might like to read it.
For the men, I must take up for them...as the Apostles of Jesus, if Jesus was crucified, shouldn't they think that the same would happen to them?
I am not one to comment on this, really, maybe Dennis, a preacher from Washington State who sometimes comments here, will read this and leave a comment. I love that Jesus welcomed the lowest of them all, the women!
I only know what the Bible says, "We are neither male nor female, but we are all one in Christ."
I hope you had a nice Easter Monday, I wish the USA would copy that, and have a day off after Easter Sunday.
I'm glad you had a wonderful Easter!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Debra! I thought of you recently when one of our veterans passed away and they called him, one of the rare ones. I hope to do a post about him soon. He was 90 years old and indeed, a rare one.
Delete