Walking home from the Garden Tomb
This morning I woke up at 4:45 to the sound of Dormition Abbey ringing its bells after they had been quiet since Good Friday. Several of us walked through the dark along the Old City walls to reach the Garden tomb for Sunrise Service. There were lots of people there, and though some thought it was a bit touristy, I actually really enjoyed it. We sang a lot, which seems appropriate for a day of celebration, and the sermon, given by Michael Ramsden, was a good message about the significance of a risen Lord, and how that raises us from death also.
Although I am so so glad to be here over the Easter season, what has made is really special has not been so much the setting, but just that the season and its significance is is more seriously remembered. I used to think Christians didn't really have multiple day holidays, but being here has changed my mind. Since Palm Sunday a week ago it has felt like a mix of mourning and celebration. I missed the Maundy Thursday service because of Purim, but I hadn't even realized that lots of Christians specifically remember the last supper and the betrayal of Jesus on this day. There were several services, especially at the garden of Gethsemane and the Mt of Olives. Good Friday had services also, and on the night of Holy Saturday there were several churches holding an Easter Vigil. I had never heard of that either, but the congregation worships and prays until midnight, and rejoices with communion once Easter is here. Apparently it is a tradition in lots of churches around the world for new believers to be baptized on Holy Saturday and to take their first communion 12:00 AM on Easter Morning. I went to the first part of Christ Church's Easter Vigil, and one of the things we did was renew our baptismal vows, declaring again that we believe in God and Jesus the Messiah - basically it was the apostles creed.
Dormition Abbey Easter Morning
After the sunrise service we came back to school for an Easter brunch, and later today games, an Easter egg hunt and a barbecue.
I don't think I've ever taken Easter so seriously, and I think a big part of that is because I've never taken Good Friday so seriously. It was interesting to think of the time that passed between the time of the crucifixion and the resurrection, even if only a couple days, it feels long. The disciples must have been really discouraged, and it brought new gravity to the passage we read at service today about Mary Magdeline weeping bitterly at the tomb when she couldn't find Jesus' body. How fantastic that he rose from the dead!
This week we were assigned a reading about Sufi Islam, and it was talking about how Sufis often focus on Allah's love for his people, and that if they show him love and devotion he will love them in return - but Jesus loved us first! The death he suffered was for us while we were yet sinners.
Although, as I said, being in Jerusalem itself hasn't necessarily make the holiday more "real," being here has caused me to think about how Christianity is different or similar to Judaism and Islam. All three religions have quite a bit of overlap, but are still SO very different! This Easter I am reminded that we serve a God who died, and then rose back to life! That is something unique to Christianity, and it changes everything.
We also read Psalms 118 today, and verse 18 stood out to me: "The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death." Jesus' life gives us life too, and because of it we will never be given over to death.



Easter Brunch
"Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb; Lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom; Let the church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing; For her Lord now liveth! Death has lost its sting!
Thine be the glory, Risen Conquering son! Endless is the victory thou o'er death hast won!"

"Because he lives, I can face tomorrow, because he lives, all fear is gone, because I know he holds the future, and life is worth the living just because he lives!"

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