Easter or Resurrection Day

Q: The traditional churches call the day Christ arose Easter, but the new generation churches call it resurrection day. They claim that Easter is a pagan celebration and should not be associated with Christ. How do you respond?

I searched and searched, but I'm still not sure what a "new generation" church is compared to a "traditional" church. I am assuming that your questions comes from a specific experience with a "new generation" church. If you would contact me, I would love to know if there is a specific situation to which you are referring. I would imagine that the "new generation" church, with its insistence of being called "resurrection day" is trying to get to the root of the practice and weed out a bit of the historical adaptation. With that, I wonder what the "new generation" churches do with other adaptations of pagan celebrations?

I'm not sure of the differences in practice between "traditional" and "new generation" churches, but some of the elements of this question are interesting. The Venerable Bede, a late-seventh-century English historian and scholar from Anglo-Saxon England, says that the name Easter comes from the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre (pagan), associated with spring and fertility, that it is celebrated around the vernal equinox. In our christianization of a pagan calendar, we adopted the Germanic/Anglo name Eostre, and called the celebration of Jesus' resurrection Easter. There is a great article HERE that explores the topic of Eostre and Easter. Note of interest: A couple other adaptations of "pagan" holiday celebrations can be found in the festivals of Saturnalia (Christmas) and Samhain (All Hallows Eve / All Saints' Day).

I think it may be splitting hairs to insist it be called one thing over another. To the Christian, whether we call refer to it as "Easter" or "Resurrection Day" it is the same thing - the day we celebrate Jesus rising from the dead. Those who keep a celebration of the life of Christ in a calendar year (liturgical church traditions like the Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, & Lutherans) celebrate Easter or the Season of Resurrection as a season for 50 whole days!

Membership

Q: Why do some Episcopal churches ask you to write to your prior church to have your membership moved and others (like Trinity) do not?

I think there may be some confusion here. If you consider Trinity your home, and you are engaging the gathered community here at Trinity to help you with your spiritual needs, and you consider yourself a member of Trinity Church, then please, write your prior church and have the record of your baptism and confirmation moved to Trinity Church. You can use the form HERE.

Baptism makes you a member. If you are baptized (by water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) then you are a "member" of the Christian church, regardless of where (or how) you were baptized. Trinity, however, should have a record of that baptism.

Information on Baptism and Confirmation can be located on our website. (click links)

If you need help with any of these, please contact me or the church office. It would be an honor to add you to Trinity's membership roll.

Resurrection & Following Jesus

Q: Is it not more important to believe in the teaching of Jesus than that he is the son of God and rose from the dead?

If Jesus was not the son of God and if he did not rise from the dead, then why believe what he taught is any different or better than anything others taught? I hate to sound sarcastic here, but there were many great teachers in history. Gandhi, Mohammad, Gautama Buddha, Socrates, Plato, Confucius, etc... (the list goes on and on) they were all teachers of solid core foundational values. What is it that makes Jesus different?

Jesus is different because he offered a way to be in relationship in this world through his teaching. He offered a relational connection to God the creator that wasn't legalistic or prescriptive. By rising from the grave, he taught that life with our creator is eternal for those that are in that relationship. It gives the believer hope that there is something better for those that strive for righteousness and justice in the world.

So, for me they go hand in hand. If you believe in Jesus' teaching, and want them to make a difference in your relationship to God and all of creation then I would think that you would need to believe that Jesus was the Son of God (the incarnation of God = Jesus is God) and that he rose from the dead. Without a belief in the incarnation and the resurrection, I feel that Jesus is just another great teacher.

Calling the Disciples

Q: How long did it take for Jesus to assemble the disciples? Do we have any idea?

All we know about Jesus calling the disciples is what's found in scripture. (Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:4-11; and John 1:29-2:2). Reading the accounts individually can be very confusing... reading them together helps us get the whole picture and start to piece together the whole story.

I would gauge the timing as in the first part of the three years Jesus was preaching and teaching. I don't feel that Jesus selected his closest followers randomly in a hurried and instantaneous manner, therefore it took a while to assemble the twelve. I have no idea how long. It might be an excellent study to outline the passages that I referenced above and see if you can put together the pieces.

Living Christ's Message

Q: Why don't more people - me included - live Christ's message on days other than Sunday?

Incredible question that needs to be continually asked by every one of the followers of Jesus! I have this incredible feeling that society thinks it doesn't need Christ's message at all, let alone on just on Sunday...  They think that they can somehow save themselves all by themselves. I would say, for lack of a better term or nicer way to put it, that those who live Christ's message ONLY on Sunday are being hypocritical the rest of the week (or not even living Christ's message at all). If we are going to be Christian, then we don't get to pick and choose which days we can be Christian.

If this question is about going or not going to Church, I feel, and will be quick to say, that going to church DOES NOT make you a Christian. (just like being in a garage doesn't make you a car!) Church, for the christian is more of a "training facility" or a "fuel stop" than it is a "place to be a Christian." (like the garage - it's a place to be worked on, fueled up, lifted up, and tuned! And like a garage, it's sometimes messy work! - ok, that's enough of the car analogy) That doesn't mean that we don't have to go to church, on the contrary. We go to church to learn and worship - it is that "fuel stop" that feeds us and that "training facility" that empowers us to get through the rest of life during the week. I helps us deal with the evils of the world, and gives us strength through relationships with other believers.

There is an incredible struggle these days between a society that teaches self sufficiency and salvation through "doing good" and Christ's actual message of truth, equity, justice, and relationship that can be lived out in the world that ultimately teaches a connection to God. The difference is relationship.

As Christians, we should be living our life day to day in relationship to God (through Jesus). It is the source and reason we are in love and charity with our neighbors. It is not the society influencing us, it is us who should be influencing society by the way we live. To me, that's what living Christ's message is about. We also need to remember that society won't always "like" or "accept" the way that we are living. (It even got Jesus nailed to a cross!) 

I feel that Jesus came that we might be learn how to be together in relationship in order to bring forth the Kingdom of God. Living a life (every day) through Jesus... his life, his teaching, and his actions...  all viewed through the lens of his death and resurrection. It's not easy, but for the believer, it becomes the connection to God that the world needs for the Kingdom of God to come. 

From the old camp song that is Based on John 13:35

(I believe the music and lyrics were originally written by Peter Schools)

1. We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.

Refrain
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

2. We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand,
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand,
And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land.

3. We will work with each other, we will work side by side,
We will work with each other, we will work side by side,
And we’ll guard each one’s dignity and save each one’s pride.

4. All praise to the Father, from whom all things come,
And all praise to Christ Jesus, his only Son,
And all praise to the Spirit, who makes us one.

Recognizing Jesus after the Resurrection

Q: In some of the resurrection stories, the disciples do not recognize Jesus. How could that be?

Q: Why didn't the disciples recognize Jesus after the resurrection?

The two questions that were submitted are almost the same. Therefore, I decided to address the two in the same post. Scripture doesn't tell us why it the disciples didn't recognize Jesus after the resurrection. Therefore, I will try to explain how I understand it. Hopefully, this will help you discern an understanding for yourself.

First, people did not expect the dead to rise again. Therefore, regardless of how much Jesus told them that "the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again" (Luke 18:33, 24:7, 24:46, Mark 8:31, 9:31, 10:34) they didn't understand. They continued not to understand until they were reminded. Therefore, it's hard to recognize what we don't expect.

The way I understand resurrection is that it is "life after life after death." More Here (good article on the resurrection!) To me, this means that resurrection life is a different state of being. I would expect the appearance of the resurrected Christ to be different - and unexpected by his followers. However, regardless of how he looks (whether he looks like Jesus or not), the disciples know it is him. 

In the Gospel according to John, Mary encounters the risen Christ in the garden and thinks he is the gardener. (John 20:15) Obviously upset because she thinks that someone has stolen the body of Jesus, she must have been crying. Have you ever seen any thing clearly when you've been crying? Not expecting Jesus to have been raised from the dead, she didn't recognize Jesus until he called her by name.

Again, in the Gospel according to John, the disciples are 100 yards off the shore in a boat and the risen Christ calls out to them to cast their net on the other side. (John 21) It was day break and 100 yards would cause some confusion. We must also understand that the disciples didn't expect to see Jesus again. However, in an act of the miraculous catch of fish that was experienced before (Matt 4, Mark 1, Luke 5), they recognize that it is Jesus. Evidently the resurrected Jesus doesn't look the same, but they somehow know it's him.

I feel that we are continuously called to "look for" the risen Christ in this world. If we do, Jesus shows up in many unexpected places and at the most unexpected times. We should become sensitive to the fact that Jesus will not appear as we expect... We may see the risen Christ in the face of the stranger, the other, those extremely different from us, those who we may not like very much, those who are in need, etc... In the Rule of St. Benedict, it says, "All who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ." (Benedict's Rule Chapter 53) I think that this rule leaves room for the fact that the risen Christ may show himself in the lives of others. We should never expect the risen Christ to look like the Jesus we would expect.

Church and Priorities

Q: Why do people not put church as a priority in their life?

Different people have different reasons for not wanting to engage in church or public worship. However, I haven't heard a good one yet. It's sort of like the excuses that one gives for not having their homework - "We had a ___ game to go to (or a camping trip or sleep over or ... whatever) on Sunday" or "We just couldn't get it together" or my favorite "It's my only day to sleep in" or even better yet "the kids didn't think it was fun" or "I don't get anything out of it." 

Attendance at public worship (or lack thereof) says something about the person and what kind of relationship they are trying to nurture with God. We prioritize activities based on what we think is important. If an individual's relationship with God is unimportant, then it becomes 2nd, 3rd, or even last on the list. This is very sad because it's the people like this that wonder why God is so "absent" after they have done nothing to nurture or build a relationship with God. 

Relationship is a two-fold thing. It requires engagement and interaction by all parties. I often tell people that you only get out of church (or relationship) what you are willing to put into it. If you are not engaged or don't participate in what the church community works so hard to offer, then you don't reap the full benefits of church.

I recently had a conversation with a woman who has come back to church after being away for many years. She attends nearly every Sunday and is engaged in activities. I want to share what she told me that will probably help those who are struggling with priorities. She said, "I never realized the depth of real love and understanding that comes from belonging to a church. I understand more about how we worship more than I did when I came only 2 or 3 times a year. I never realized or understood that going through Lent would make Easter mean that much more to me - and it did! The more I learn, the more I want to learn."

For me, that sums it up. That is why I am personally engaged. That's why I make it a priority. When I am in worship or in community at Church, as messy and stressful as it can be sometimes, I always feel a depth of love and peace. It is a place of activity and learning... it is a place of engagement and relationship... It's not perfect, it's a messy safe place to work things out.

Jesus says love God and love your neighbor. To me, my relationship with God is the first thing on my list. That is what I work on when I go to church and worship. It sets the tone of how I work on my relationship with my neighbor. If the relationship with God is missing, then the rest of the system will be, and usually is, out of sorts.

Note: It usually takes a few several hours to prepare just one hour of worship, it's not instant, nor does it happen spontaneously. It is a shame that many people don't think that their relationship with God is important enough to make it a priority and engage enough to completely enjoy the benefits.

Trusting in God

Q: How do you fully trust in God and His plan for your life (for others, the world, etc...)? This question assumes that there is a plan, so maybe I should open it: "How do you trust in God?" and "How do you be at peace?"

I'm going to admit that I'm unsure about a predestined "master plan" for the universe. Or, at least, one that I am aware of or if it is even promised in scripture. I'm not really a predestination theologian... The plan that I know of is one of relationship; God's relationship with us and the creation and our relationship with God and one another and all of creation. I understand God's plan for all things is to work in relationship. This can be found throughout scripture, as the accounts and stories reveal to us how people worked out their relationships with God and each other. We notice very quickly that life in biblical times was just as messed up as it is today as we struggle to live in relationship.

That's where the trust factor comes into the scene. In order to have relationship, we must trust - trust God, trust each other. This is an important thing, but it is not easy. Often, we need to take baby steps and get to know before we can fully trust, or rely on, or put faith in, etc... For instance, you don't get married on the first date. There needs to be a courtship, a getting to know you period in order to build the relationship. All parties must give the other party a chance. 

I personally feel that this is the same with our relationship with God. The worst thing that we can do is not work toward a relationship with God and expect it to be there when we need it. Relationships require ernest hard work. They require give and take and compromise. We need to work at having a relationship with God as much as, if not more than having a relationship with each other. These are the two most important things we could ever do in our life.

I feel, and have personally experienced that if I am in right relationship with God and each other, or if I am at least striving for it, that I am at peace. It's a release of thinking that I need to control every aspect of every situation. It is no longer a struggle to trying to make the square pegs fit into the round holes, but an acceptance of the round holes being there for the round pegs... but other people have the round pegs and in order for you to be complete, you need them.

Gestures for Prayer (Standing, Sitting, Kneeling)

Q: Why is it considered less joyous if we kneel during prayers and Eucharist? I find it easier to concentrate and be in the moment while kneeling.

I'm not sure it's considered less joyous, but each person experiences different things while praying using different postures. Over the years, the church has become less prescriptive about postures during the prayers. I even use the phrase (please stand, sit, or kneel as best helps you to pray). It is my intent to have you determine your own prayer posture so that you can concentrate and be "in the moment." 

That doesn't preclude us from learning that gestures and postures say different things. We all know about body language and how we can portray things to others by the way we stand or cross our arms or whatever. Prayer postures are much like that.

Kneeling is a sign of humility and reverence. I would say that kneeling is always a great posture for prayer. Sometimes it is uncomfortable. Especially if you have knee joint problems. Kneeling is often thought to be penitential or submissive. 

Standing is a sign of worth, dignity and respect. We are taught in our culture that we stand when someone important enters the room. Standing during prayer is often a sign of thankfulness and praise of Jesus who, through his death and resurrection, made us able and worthy to be reunited to God. Prayer B (starting on page 367 of the Book of Common Prayer) has the phrase "made us worthy to stand before you." It seems confusing to say that we lift our hearts up to the Lord as we are giving praise in celebration to fall on our knees... confusing, but sometimes appropriate during particularly penitential seasons like Lent. 

The Episcopal Church is full of gestures, as a kid we called them Episco-robics! Stand, Sit, Kneel, Stand, Kneel, Sit, Bow, Kneel, Stand, etc... Worship can be an incredible workout. I personally use these simple guidelines.

• Stand: to sing, proclaim, and pray during Easter (proclaim: such as reciting a creedal statement)
• Sit: to learn (during the lessons, readings, preaching, etc...)
• Kneel: to pray (especially in Lent) 

Fun fact to know and tell: The first council of Nicaea (from which we get the Nicene Creed) as early as 325 actually addressed standing during prayers at the liturgy, especially the consecration. This resulted in a church disciplinary canon. I don't think that anyone today will be arrested for kneeling during prayers at church. ;)

Sickness

Q: Why isn't God more helpful to those ill, sick, and infirm through medical research, etc...?

I spoke a bit about how I feel that God continually guides researchers and medical professionals in search of treatments for the sick in this post HERE. I don't want to shortcut how I address this question because I've dealt with the topic before. I feel that God is present within these situations and gives us comfort through the process of sickness or illness. 

God always seems to bring wholeness and sanctification from our troubles and experiences when we look to God for truth and understanding. I am reminded of Dame Julian of Norwich who experienced visions of Jesus passion and death during her sickness. Her extreme focus during the illness that almost killed her was the love that God had for her and all of creation and the love she had for God beyond anything else. After reading her record in Revelations of Divine Love, I believe that God used her bad situation for a greater purpose. Not that God caused the sickness, but that he used it to bring strength and connection in relationship in her time of trouble. Julian is regarded today as one of the great Christian mystics and theologians of her time.

We can learn much about dealing with our struggles with sickness and illness through the lives of the faithful that have gone before us. Some folks refer to them as saints, because for us they were great witnesses to the faith.

God's Absence

Q: Why is it that God seems to have abandoned my heart?

First of all, that is a pretty heavy question and I am sorry you feel that way. It's really difficult to address this in this forum. It would probably be much better in person. So, please don't hesitate to make an appointment with me.

If you are struggling or feeling an absence from God, you're not alone. It's a valid feeling. If you are struggling to find God in your life, and doing everything you can to connect and still feel the absence, you are not alone. Others have had similar feelings since the beginning of time. 

This is where the Bible comes in handy. It helps us realize that we are not alone in our struggles. Scripture is full of the faithful who are "seeking" God who seems absent or to have abandoned us. The Psalms are full of cries out for God in the midst of loneliness or despair. Look at just a couple: Psalm 42 and Psalm 22. Try praying them. Look through the Psalms and parallel your own personal feelings of God's absence, and then look around you again. Look for God to show up in the little things. It doesn't have to be a big display. Has God really abandoned you? 

God loves you! God is there. God sometimes shows up in the smile of a small child or a good friend or family member. Maybe the feelings of abandonment by God are really something else.

Suffering from Disease & Cancer

Q: Why must some suffer through disease or cancer to humble us before God?

I don’t feel that God causes suffering, therefore I don’t believe that God inflicts us with diseases or cancer for the purpose of humbling us. I don't blame God for diseases. We should always remember that we are biological creatures.

We are animals that are part of God's creation; part of the eco-system. As part of that system, we are susceptible to contaminates and viruses and sickness. I feel that most of these come from human neglect of being good stewards of the creation. So, I feel that humans are the source of our own suffering. For generations and generations we continue to destroy and take for granted everything in creation that we have been given by God. Disease is a horrible consequence of being a biological creature surviving in an environment that we have polluted and destroyed over generations. It's not  the fault of the person that has the disease.

On a positive note, in the modern era, God has given us so much through the advancement of science about diseases that have been around for years. God loves us and continues to guide skilled medical professionals and healers that work hard to combat disease and cancer through treatments and cures.  We need to pray for and support the researchers and medical professionals. I pray daily for those who are on prayer list because of sickness. I feel that God hears our prayers, and answers us in ways that we don’t always understand. The ultimate cure for disease and human suffering is in the escaton, when the heavens and the earth will be fully restored to perfection in God’s Kingdom - when pain and suffering will be no more.

As far as the humbling part… this makes God sound like a bully. I’m not sure how anyone could think that God acts like this. In the description, I can picture a schoolyard bully twisting another kids arm behind their back to make them get on their knees. That’s not how it works. 

Disease and cancer might cause us to acknowledge, connect or reconnect with God, especially if we have been absent from the relationship for a while, but I don't feel it's the reason for the sickness.