JourneyOnline
To the editor,
Regarding Rev Mel Perkins’ comments (Journey, April 2014, pages 6 and 7).
The Easter story doesn’t disturb me. The way the church interprets it does.
I agree with Rev Peter Lockhart that we are “almost obsessed with the sin and death part” of the Easter story. I am frustrated by the doom and gloom of Easter—especially Tenebrae services and the “defeat” of Good Friday. Easter Sunday is happy enough, but my question is, why aren’t all our Easter services happy and victorious?
Many years ago a minister ended his sermon with, “At the crucifixion, the angels were aghast and the fiends from hell rejoiced.” I asked him, shouldn’t it be the other way around? After some thought, he was grinning like a Cheshire cat, which I took as agreement. If it is all right for the angels (aware of the bigger picture) to rejoice in the victory of the cross all through Easter, why isn’t it right for us?
Sincerely,
June Ehrenberg
Nambour Uniting Church
For over eighty years I have worshipped in different churches in many of which Easter was all ‘celebration’ with Easter eggs and holidays appearing to assume greater importance, and Good Friday almost ignored. Of course on this side of the Cross we can rightfully appreciate and celebrate Christ’s victory for us over evil, but it did seem to me that something was being glossed over to the point of being almost forgotten. At times I found myself envying the Stations of the Cross tradition of Roman Catholic worshippers.
This year I participated for the first time in short Holy Week meditation services, including a Tenebrae service, after which we walked out in silence into a clear night with a full moon, our hearts full also with a renewed understanding of the depths of God’s sacrificial love.
To participate in this ‘walk to the Cross’ with Jesus made the wonderful dawn service on Resurrection Sunday especially meaningful.
No-one is compelled to attend, but those who do so in a prayerful spirit I believe are greatly blessed.