This was my first Holy Week in almost 40 years that I was not a Baptist pastor, having recently retired from formal ministry. We were fortunate to spend H Week this year at Oxford where our son is a doctoral student at Magdalen College and very involved at University Church of St. Mary. What a refreshing experience to celebrate outside the restrictive box of a literal interpretation of every component of the Passion narrative. May your conscience ever trouble you, Diana, in knowing that you have contributed to my playing “theological footsie” with Episcopalians and their perspectives 😜
Thank you. Christ is risen indeed and appears regularly, often appears where you least expect to see him and many, many people, living and dead, you who constitute his spiritual body today and through the ages, bringing love and healing grace. Alleluia!
I love all your posts, Diana, but this is one I plan to read and meditate upon daily for many days to come, at least until your post at Pentecost, which I expect will also hit it out of the park. Another which I read again often is the one about President Putin and his desire to reunite the territories of the old Kievan Rus, and the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in his thinking. In the light of Patriarch Kirill’s recent appearance in the headlines, and our own Holy Father’s sermon yesterday, I wish I could read your post from some weeks back as an Op Ed in the Washington Post or the New York Times. ❤️❤️
I loved how you began with the "wars" around the bodily resurrection---yes or no--and led us beyond the false binary to the multiple experiences, the prismatic mystery
I agree completely about Now the Green Blade Riseth. I sang it in my mind during the service this morning. It is also on my husband’s grave marker. We sang it at his funeral.
My, what a diversity of notions about the meaning of Christ Jesus' Resurrection! Much wisdom in your reflection, tho' per usual I'm dissenting from some - for me - unsupportable conclusions from the Biblical record. Given Paul, certainly not simply the resuccitation of a corpse. "But we shall all be changed." And a "bodily existence", really US, is fundamental. Luke's and others' accounts contrary to Paul's explanation? Hardly. Jesus is "bodily" alive but appears and disappears and passes through closed doors. And still shares meals, a big deal for Luke. Each Gospel has its theological thrust, but the first is, for me, the most powerful. And its point largely missed. The Resurrection is not in question, but whether the Christian community proclaims it or plays safe in a threatening world is. The addressees, whether in Rome or China, Indonesia, India or all too comfy North American, are confronted with, "Is this really how it's supposed to end?" Well, of course not. So what's the Message? Heck, regardless of fears, PROCLAIM IT! And BTW, if reducing it to some moral or spiritual inspiration is all anyone has to offer, I'll stop wasting my time with this christianity stuff and join Green Peace instead of just sending them money! Better to risk my life doing what matters in "this is all there is."
I very much appreciate your term “prismatic mystery” because if we have a living vital sincere true ongoing relationship with the pure light of love from Source, then what happened historically is an illustration of what is possible to occur in human form all the time everywhere. When the mystical becomes commonplace all arguments cease.
Hello. N.T. Wright discusses the “spiritual body” vs the “spiritual body” in his book Surprised by Hope pages 155-156. I highly recommend it.
This was my first Holy Week in almost 40 years that I was not a Baptist pastor, having recently retired from formal ministry. We were fortunate to spend H Week this year at Oxford where our son is a doctoral student at Magdalen College and very involved at University Church of St. Mary. What a refreshing experience to celebrate outside the restrictive box of a literal interpretation of every component of the Passion narrative. May your conscience ever trouble you, Diana, in knowing that you have contributed to my playing “theological footsie” with Episcopalians and their perspectives 😜
OT, but have you seen this? https://washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/18/russian-orthodox-church-ukraine-war/
Thank you. Christ is risen indeed and appears regularly, often appears where you least expect to see him and many, many people, living and dead, you who constitute his spiritual body today and through the ages, bringing love and healing grace. Alleluia!
I think it is not just a belief in the resurrection, it is also how do we experience resurrection it is so much than an idea.
Awesome painting. I shared it with Faye Cox of Trinity SB.
I love all your posts, Diana, but this is one I plan to read and meditate upon daily for many days to come, at least until your post at Pentecost, which I expect will also hit it out of the park. Another which I read again often is the one about President Putin and his desire to reunite the territories of the old Kievan Rus, and the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in his thinking. In the light of Patriarch Kirill’s recent appearance in the headlines, and our own Holy Father’s sermon yesterday, I wish I could read your post from some weeks back as an Op Ed in the Washington Post or the New York Times. ❤️❤️
I love this so much! Thank you!
I don’t know quite my response....but Thank you!
I loved how you began with the "wars" around the bodily resurrection---yes or no--and led us beyond the false binary to the multiple experiences, the prismatic mystery
I love that hymn/song. Beautiful and so evocative.
Thank you Diana for this mature and open, honest and challenging reflection on Resurrection - I appreciate it.
I agree completely about Now the Green Blade Riseth. I sang it in my mind during the service this morning. It is also on my husband’s grave marker. We sang it at his funeral.
Another reason to stay away from Twitter, especially if Elon Musk takes over
My, what a diversity of notions about the meaning of Christ Jesus' Resurrection! Much wisdom in your reflection, tho' per usual I'm dissenting from some - for me - unsupportable conclusions from the Biblical record. Given Paul, certainly not simply the resuccitation of a corpse. "But we shall all be changed." And a "bodily existence", really US, is fundamental. Luke's and others' accounts contrary to Paul's explanation? Hardly. Jesus is "bodily" alive but appears and disappears and passes through closed doors. And still shares meals, a big deal for Luke. Each Gospel has its theological thrust, but the first is, for me, the most powerful. And its point largely missed. The Resurrection is not in question, but whether the Christian community proclaims it or plays safe in a threatening world is. The addressees, whether in Rome or China, Indonesia, India or all too comfy North American, are confronted with, "Is this really how it's supposed to end?" Well, of course not. So what's the Message? Heck, regardless of fears, PROCLAIM IT! And BTW, if reducing it to some moral or spiritual inspiration is all anyone has to offer, I'll stop wasting my time with this christianity stuff and join Green Peace instead of just sending them money! Better to risk my life doing what matters in "this is all there is."
I very much appreciate your term “prismatic mystery” because if we have a living vital sincere true ongoing relationship with the pure light of love from Source, then what happened historically is an illustration of what is possible to occur in human form all the time everywhere. When the mystical becomes commonplace all arguments cease.