How were your Easter celebrations? We went to a sunrise service that started at 6:00 a.m. when it was still dark. Just as we were getting ready to start communion, the sun rose and was shining right through the stained glass window showing the Ark of the Covenant. It was quite lovely. I didn’t get a photo, of course, but I have a photo that I took last year after the service of the sun pouring through one of the windows. Whoever thought up stained glass windows was brilliant.
In certain church traditions, we exchange what is known as the Paschal Greeting on Easter morning:
“He is risen!”
”He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!”
You might be wondering, as I often have, why we don’t say, “He has risen,” which sounds more grammatically correct to our modern ears. I did a little bit of nosing about on the internet and discovered that it has to do with the 17th century grammar of the King James Bible.
If you were to do this greeting among certain Orthodox churches, it might be accompanied by 3 kisses on the cheek. We don’t go to a kissing church, but that was something else I discovered while doing some idle research.
Does it make any difference whether or not Jesus Christ actually rose from the dead? Of course it does! Our pastor reminded us yesterday of Paul’s words in his letter to the Corinthians. “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins…if we have believed in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:17, 19)
He is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
If I delete this post in the morning, you can be assured, it will not rise again.
Lynniebeemuseoday 