the voice - eastertide 2013

The Voice Of Grace and St. Peter’s Church

Eastertide 2013

1

Jesus’ Resurrection and Eastertide … in the midst of bombs, violence, terror and trouble

Recently, our local, national and global communities have been filled with

heartbreaking violence and cruelty. It is important that we, as people of faith, address these issues together from a Christian standpoint, and continuously pray for those whose lives have been torn by violence, terror, warfare and poverty. The two reflections in this issue of The Voice address what it means for us, as Christians, to proclaim our faith and be a “Resurrection People” – sharing in the abundant new life that God offers – in the midst of these realities. The first, by The Rev. Amanda K. Gott, draws from the Biblical stories of Jesus’ appearances to his followers after his crucifixion and

resurrection. The second, by Gretchen Pritchard, is at the end. It focuses on the Book of Revelation (the last book of the Bible), which we are reading parts

of on Sunday mornings in Church during Eastertide. We hope these reflections are helpful to you as we work together to live into God’s calling to

proclaim the Gospel – Good News – in the face of so much bad news.

Looking for the Living Among the Dead The Rev. Amanda K. Gott

In the Gospel of Luke’s telling of the story of Jesus’ resurrection -‐ or how the women went to his tomb and discovered it empty on Easter morning – the two men in dazzling white, presumably messengers from God, ask the women this question as they stood at the empty tomb: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” According to the story, the women do not have an answer to this question. This is understandable – they have witnessed incredible violence and suffered terrible loss. They were stricken with grief, worn down from worry and heartbreak, overwhelmed by fear and uncertainty about what horror might be inflicted next upon them or their loved ones. Does this state of mind sound familiar? This is the place where many of us find ourselves, emotionally, in response to a world that just seems to get more senselessly violent, and as more cruelty, violence and terror seem to directly affect people close to us geographically and emotionally. I find myself, centuries after the scene at Jesus’ empty tomb where the question is asked, “Why do you look for the living among the dead,” crying out in response, “Why shouldn’t we look for the living among the dead?” Why, when our lives and hearts are overshadowed and overwhelmed by the immensity of death’s powers, terror’s powers, (continued on next page)


Eastertide 2013

2

… violence all around us, where else CAN we look for Jesus? Why should we NOT look in those places of despair for signs of Christ’s power? Those are the very places where we need most to see Christ victorious. Times of terror, grief, darkness and horror are the times when we most need to behold Christ’s light, and know that God is always bringing forth new life, unconquered and un-‐defeated by death and all the powers of Hell. Those are the times and places – when we are standing at the tomb -‐ when we need most to experience God’s living presence and active love. And the Gospel tells us, that this IS where Jesus finds us. Jesus comes to us when we are, like the female and male disciples in the days following his torture and death, stricken with grief, worn down from worry and heartbreak, and overwhelmed by fear and uncertainty about what horror might be inflicted next upon us or our loved ones. Jesus did not come to a group of men and women filled with happiness, optimism, and confidence that good would triumph over evil. Rather, Jesus finds the women in the graveyard, preparing to complete the sorrowful rituals of death, expecting to find a cold, dead, broken body, destroyed by torture. Jesus appears to his disciples when they are overwhelmed by their loss, hiding in a locked room, paralyzed with fear (even after he had already shown himself to them once!). In all of the stories about the resurrected Jesus appearing to his disciples, we find them terrorized, seemingly overwhelmed with the violence and cruelty of the world in general and Jesus’ death in particular. In these Eastertide days, we hear stories of the disciples lacking understanding and conviction about Jesus, his life, and his calling to them. In the story of Jesus’ appearance to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus in the Gospel of Luke, the disciples are clearly unsure of what to make of the news of Jesus’ resurrection. They do not know if it is true. They are clearly mourning not only the death of their beloved Jesus, but also all of the hopes that he had ignited in their hearts. Now, their hearts were feeling so beat up, shut-‐down and blinded by sadness, that they could not even recognize Jesus as he stood next to them and spoke. Likewise, in the story from the Gospel of John when Jesus appears to them on a beach, the disciples were so dis-‐heartened that they couldn’t think of anything to do except go back to “life as usual,” picking up the monotony of their old fishing jobs where they had left off before … well, before it all … before Jesus. It seems that all of their energy, enthusiasm and hope had been shut down. But that is precisely the place where Jesus seeks them out, calls to them, and feeds them. The resurrected Christ, the living Christ, the one who defeats all of the powers of Hell, touches and re-‐ignites dead hearts, languishing spirits, and beat-‐up, parched souls. Over and over again, as much as it takes to bring them – and us – back to life, to a place of sharing in the power, the reality, of his resurrection. So here we are in 2013. Like the women at the tomb, we peer into the darkness of death. Like the disciples in the locked room, we are terrorized by the powers of violence and cruelty. Like the men on the beach, we don’t know what to do except numbly (continued on next page)


Eastertide 2013

3

… go on with “business as usual,” unsure of whether the news of Christ’s resurrection really has any impact on our lives. Our lives are filled with times of amazing joy and crushing heartbreak. The intensity with which we experience these things is a part of being human. Where are you right now in your life? Are you full of energy, enthusiasm and hope, or are you worn out and beat down by the relentless pains of affliction? Are you feeling filled with the hope and inspiration of new life – feeling like you have been uplifted with the presence and power of a living God? Or do you feel like you are stumbling numbly in the dark, stricken with despair and wandering among tombstones? Are you moving and growing into new life, or paralyzed by hopelessness and fear? Are you dwelling and walking and functioning from day-‐to-‐day among the living or among the dead? The good news is that neither the light-‐filled, peace-‐permeated realm of the living, nor the terrifying darkness of the grave, are beyond the reach of God. Jesus -‐ the very one through whom we were created and called into being -‐ Jesus has traversed both places and has prevailed, and will find you there, whichever “there” you are in. Our God is always creating and re-‐creating new life out of death, new beginnings out of even the most painful endings, and hope out of despair. There is no death, terror, violence or cruelty that can separate us from Christ. Why NOT look for the living among the dead, if among the dead is where you are? The source of all life will find us – even there -‐ and pull us forth with him into the resurrection, the un-‐conquerable eternal life and love of God.

W

Eastertide Baptisms

Gwendalyn DeLancy – March 31 D’Angelo Figueroa – April 7 Desiree Figueroa – April 7 Eva Thomas – May 5

We receive you into the household of God. Confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in

his eternal priesthood.


Eastertide 2013

4

Bishop’s Visitation

Pentecost Sunday, May 19

Our Diocesan Bishop, The Rev. Dr. Ian T. Douglas, will be with us for worship and

conversation. He will be arriving at 9:00 AM for a forum with those who worship at the

8:00 AM service. At the 10:00 AM service, the Bishop will be our Celebrant and Preacher. Following the 10:00 AM service, the Bishop will stay with us for conversation about

God’s Mission, Church, and life in our Diocese.

W

CHOIR: For all who enjoy singing!

Spring dates for Choir offerings (at the 10:00 AM service) are May 5 and May 19 (Pentecost). The rehearsal for the May 5 piece is on Thursday night, May 2. We will begin working on the piece for Pentecost soon after that. This is a multi-generational opportunity, with children, youth and adults all invited to participate. The music will be engaging, accessible and inspirational! Each of these choir opportunities is free-


Eastertide 2013

5

standing, with the rehearsals scheduled in a flexible way so that if you cannot sing on one of these dates, you can still participate in the other. All are welcome to participate, even if you have not sung in choir before. If you are interested or have any questions, contact Kevin at 203-230-1051.

Springtime Blessing of Animals

Sunday, May 5 at 4:00 PM

Rogation Days are an ancient Springtime tradition that focused on asking God’s blessing on the newly planted

crops so that the harvest would be abundant. Some aspects of Rogation Day are worth re-visiting in modern times. As the signs of Spring burst forth all around us in the form of buds, tender leaves, beautiful flowers,

and new growth, it is important for Christians to remember the importance of our relationship with nature and the earth. As a part of this, we will be

having a short but meaningful blessing of animals in the afternoon (outdoors if weather is fair.)

{ Girls’ Friendly Society Plant Sale:

Saturday, May 11th 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM and Sunday, May 12th 9:00 AM – Noon. Please pre-order plants by May 5th.

Order forms are available on the table in the Brewster Room.

wgshw

Chapel on the Green Mark your calendars now -‐ Sunday, June 2.


Eastertide 2013

6

This is an afternoon outdoor Eucharist on the New Haven Green that is attended by homeless and very poor people, and many others who may not feel comfortable worshipping inside of a church building. We will be participating in this service on Sunday, June 2. After the service, we will give out bagged lunches, which we will have prepared beforehand, to people who have come who need food. Grace & St. Peter’s folks are needed to help prepare lunches in the morning and to participate in the service itself in the afternoon. More details soon – keep an eye on the Sunday announcements. Save the date to come and be a part of this unique ministry!

Jazz at Grace & St. Peter's presents: NMS All Stars

Saturday, May 4 at 7:00 PM

This is a gifted ensemble of area high-school-age musicians currently studying jazz at Neighborhood Music School in New Haven. All are welcome to come on Saturday, May 4 at 7:00 PM to enjoy a fun evening of great jazz music, performed by an incredibly talented young group. The evening will feature many classic Jazz standards and Latin Jazz pieces in an exciting program. The musicians are Lindsay Artko on drums, Chris Dorsey on trumpet, JT Lincoln on piano, Adam Offutt on bass, and Nigel Regan on sax. Admission at the door $10, children 12 and under free, students (with ID) $7, and a $30 maximum for families of three or more.


Eastertide 2013

7

Healing Prayer

group Re-convening Wednesday

May 15th 6:00pm - 7:30pm

At Grace & St. Peter’s in the Brewster Room.

With prayerful discernment we will continue our conversation on where God may be calling us, as a

Christ centered congregation, in this ministry. We will begin with a short period of meditation, quieting our minds and centering ourselves so that we might better listen for God's word. All

are welcome - it doesn't matter whether you attended previous meetings or not!! Kindly mark

your calendars and plan to join us.


Eastertide 2013

8

U


Eastertide 2013

9

Dinner for a Dollar

We serve a wholesome meal every Friday night 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM.

All are welcome. Suggested donation $1, but no one is turned away.

We are being honored with the presence of MANY guests – meaning people who are not Grace & St. Peter’s parishioners – each Friday night. This ministry is going strong, and filling an important place in many people’s lives. Some people come for the delicious food. Some come for the companionship. Some come for both. Whatever reason draws people here on Friday nights, we are showing, concretely, what Christ’s love looks like, and we are extending that love beyond our walls to the larger community. THANK YOU to everyone in the congregation who has supported and helped, in so many ways, with this ministry! Since this is a continuous ministry, it needs continuous energy and support. In whatever way you can help, your presence is appreciated and needed. We encourage you to come and be a part of it! You can help serve and help with clean-up (this is quick and easy) or you can come and simply sit with a guest and enjoy the food together, to offer warm hospitality and conversation with the warm, yummy meal. If you are thinking about cooking for “Dinner for a Dollar,” then take the word of those who have already done it – it is easy and lots of fun! And cooking need not be a financial burden, either - You can be reimbursed for the expenses, up to $75. Please contact Allison Batson at [email protected] or 203-691-5501 if you would like to be a part of this wonderful ministry!

Hamden Food Bank Every Sunday, we collect non-perishable food items at Church for donation to the Hamden Food Bank. All non-perishable foods are gratefully accepted, but we have organized a “food of the month” to make it easier for you to donate. We have talked to the staff at the food bank to find out which foods to emphasize. This way, you don’t have to think or worry about what to donate. Simply add the “food of the month” to your grocery shopping list and bring it in on Sundays. We take care of transporting it to the Food Bank. May’s Food of the Month: Pasta and Tomato Sauce


Eastertide 2013

10

THE MYSTERY OF FAITH An Easter meditation by Gretchen Pritchard

It’s spring. It’s beautiful outside—“bloom in every meadow, leaves on every bough,” as the Easter hymn says. The church proclaims “Christ is risen!” and the world is full of new life.

And yet last week an annual rite of spring was turned into a scene of horror as two “losers” exploded crude bombs at the Boston Marathon. And this was only the latest in a series of atrocities that have desecrated the spring—the Easter season—in recent years: Columbine, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma City. And it is only the latest of a series of atrocities that have devastated our near neighbors this year, especially the horror of the shootings in Newtown shortly before Christmas.

Christ is risen … and there is still evil in the world: tragedies, violence, war, and disasters. People who don’t believe in God often point to the existence of evil—especially evil like the suffering of children—as the reason for their unbelief. How do we make sense of any of this? How do we claim that God’s love in Jesus Christ has conquered sin and defeated death—when sin and death are still so obviously real?

At Easter we say, “Christ is risen!” but all year long we say, “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” And we call this the “mystery of faith.”

A mystery is not a puzzle. It is not a secret code to decode, to find out a secret formula that will make everything clear. A mystery is not a riddle or a trick. A mystery is a truth that resists explanation but, when faithfully lived into, releases ever more and more meaning to the heart.

Our faith speaks in mysteries, and the Bible speaks in mysteries.

Perhaps the most mysterious book in the whole Bible is the last book in the New Testament, the book of Revelation. One year out of three, we read parts of Revelation on the Sundays after Easter. We also read from Revelation at All Saints’ and at funerals, and many of us are also familiar with verses taken from this book and set to music in Handel’s Hallelujah chorus, and from the closing moments of our Christmas pageant, when the Angel of the Lord proclaims “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Revelation is an attempt to express the Mystery of Faith—“Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again”—in words and images.

Revelation stretches the limits of language to the breaking point, perhaps beyond. Its Christ first appears as “one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest.” His head and his hair are “white as wool, white as snow;” his eyes like fire, his feet like burnished bronze; and from his mouth proceeds a “sharp, two-‐edged sword.” Later in the book, he is described as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, only to appear later on as a Lamb—the Lamb Who Was Slain, and whose blood does not stain but instead washes clean the white garments of those who love him. He is Victim and Victor; he was dead and is living. Not only


Eastertide 2013

11

Lamb, but Shepherd, he leads his people safely to fountains of living waters; later still, he is the Bridegroom, and everyone who believes in him is his Bride.

“Adoration of the Lamb,” from the Ghent Altarpiece, Jan Van Eyck (1390 –1441)

And the new Jerusalem, the Heavenly City, is colossal in size, and behind its twelve gates (set with pearls), it is as much a garden as a city. The River of Life flows through its streets, and the Tree of Life is in the midst of the River, bearing fruit twelve months of the year, and its leaves are the healing of the nations. It has no sun or moon, because Christ, the Lamb, is its light; yet it is full of lampstands, torches, and stars, and a “sea of glass, like crystal” mixed with fire.

Both Lamb and Shepherd; both city and garden, both Victim and Victor. And the Book of Revelation also contains a great and bloody battle between good and evil, a vision of the final defeat of evil, and a panorama of the earth itself perishing in fire and disaster, till the New Jerusalem descends from heaven like a bride adorned for her wedding.

When we forget that Revelation is a mystery, we make it a monstrosity. Revelation is not an intelligence briefing on God’s strategies for the coming war against evil, full of arcane secret code for which only God’s chosen few have the key. It is not a violent video game where we see the Son of Man vaporizing his enemies ever faster and faster and with more spectacular special effects. Revelation is a music video in words—words stretched to their absolute limits, where the author calls upon almost every image to burst out of its normal meaning in order to encompass the mystery of faith: “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” (continued on next page)


Eastertide 2013

12

… The ultimate mystery of Scripture, in the Book of Revelation as in our own stories, is the mystery of life out of death. Easter tells us that Christ is alive; but the witness of scripture is that the living Christ continues to bear, for ever and ever, the wounds of the Cross: the Lamb who was Slain bleeds eternally to wash our robes, to cleanse us of our sins. Our faith does not promise that we, any more than Jesus, will escape death, nor that our immortal souls will rise above the physical limitation of our bodies and persist forever in spiritual purity. No, just as the mystery of Jesus is that he is both God and man, both Victim and Victor, both Lamb and Shepherd, it is promised that our eternal life with him will be both spirit and body, knit together in harmony: the resurrection of the body, a new heaven and a new earth. Life out of death, not “life after death,” is the Christian Good News, the Christian hope.

What, then, of evil? Revelation envisions that it will be defeated—locked out of the heavenly city and utterly eliminated—that Satan, “that old Serpent,” will be thrown into a pit, with all his minions, the “dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Revelation 22:15). But this too is a mystery, because there are other voices in Scripture that suggest another possibility.

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall feed, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The sucking child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:6-9)

Perhaps the greatest mystery of all would be a final chapter to all our stories in which violence did not have to be cast out to eternal punishment, but could be transformed into gentleness and peace.

The great English poet and engraver William Blake (1757-‐1827) spent a lifetime trying to capture mystery in words and images. His poem, “Night,” seems at first to depict a world of simple innocence and safety, full of lambs and baby birds and guarded by angels; but in the course of six stanzas it stretches to encompass the reality of violence and death, and the Scriptural imagery both of Revelation and of Isaiah.

The sun descending in the west. The evening star does shine. The birds are silent in their nest, And I must seek for mine, The moon like a flower, In heaven’s high bower; With silent delight, Sits and smiles on the night.

Farewell green fields and happy groves, Where flocks have took delight; Where lambs have nibbled, silent moves The feet of angels bright; (continued on next page)


Eastertide 2013

13

Unseen they pour blessing, And joy without ceasing, On each bud and blossom, And each sleeping bosom.

They look in every thoughtless nest, Where birds are covered warm; They visit caves of every beast, To keep them all from harm; If they see any weeping, That should have been sleeping They pour sleep on their head And sit down by their bed.

When wolves and tygers howl for prey They pitying stand and weep; Seeking to drive their thirst away, And keep them from the sheep. But if they rush dreadful; The angels most heedful, Receive each mild spirit, New worlds to inherit.

And there the lion’s ruddy eyes, Shall flow with tears of gold: And pitying the tender cries, And walking round the fold: Saying: wrath by his meekness And by his health, sickness, Is driven away, From our immortal day.

And now beside thee bleating lamb, I can lie down and sleep; Or think on him who bore thy name, Graze after thee and weep. For wash’d in life’s river, My bright mane forever, Shall shine like the gold, As I guard o’er the fold.

Indeed, Blake goes even beyond Isaiah: his lion is transformed not into a peaceful beast that lies down and eats straw like the ox; but rather, weeping for all the pain that has ever occurred in God’s world—including that which he himself has caused—he becomes the guardian of the innocent.

“Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” We will never argue or reason ourselves into understanding this “mystery of faith,” this mystery of life out of death. Instead, we make it part of our deepest selves, through the mysteries of words and images, of art and music, of bread and wine, and of gathering in community to tell the story and re-‐enact the story, and to live out its mystery in the world.

the voice - eastertide 2013

Documents