I was in Virginia this morning to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with my family. It may be the last sunrise service at Fort Monroe -so it was special. It was more than the harpest who played Holy Holy (worthy is the lamb) with delicate tones, more than the army band, the solo trumpet, more than the attendance of people who probably set their alarm clocks for 4:30 am so they could be on time... and more than the sun rising gently as we listened to a message about hope. In the cool morning air I sensed what the sunrise service was all about.
Here we are in 2011 when our country faces so much confusion and division - here we are in a time that underlying our daily functioning we still struggle with differences - here we are standing openly as Christians outside on a military base that will be closing down in the fall and we are declaring who we are in celebration of Jesus and what he died for. If he died so we could be saved from eternal death... honestly what do we have to worry about?
Even when we die... that is not the end either. We are eternal beings and we are created in the image of a God who draws us to him. That is why so many people discover a sense of spirituality as they go through life....they just don't realized where it comes from.
The message today was all about hope and being alive. The chaplain spoke life over the people repeatedly over an echoing microphone. This sermon reached beyond the surface of my soul and I wondered if everyone else was picking up on this.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
The last Last Supper
Last night I went to a reenactment of the Last Supper at my family church on Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia. This year the army base is due to close down and this was the last Last Supper performance that the Church of the Centurian would ever do.
My father played the part of Peter in the performance some 20 years ago when I was a teenager. I remember the men of our church growing beards in preparation for the part they would play as one of the disciples of Jesus. The performance is based in part on the painting The Last Supper by Michelangelo. There is a table with the passover feast and the disciples enter the stage and take their places with Jesus the Rabbi at the center. Jesus says to the men, "One of you will betray me."
The performance then allows each man to explore his thoughts on this claim. Each man self reflects at his life and asks "It is I?"
I was moved last night as the congregation was invited to take part in communion with the actors when they broke bread together. Each person in the audience went to the front of the church and took the bread and the wine. The actor Jesus sitting at the table just smiled as so many came forward in this act of remembrance. That night Jesus knew that Judas would betray him but he also told Peter that he would deny him 3 times. Jesus knew that all of his followers would not be able to accept the cup that he had been given. With love he accepted them and with love he forgave them.
Jesus knew he would die, and the last supper was his chance to tell his followers that he loved them. The holy communion is a way to remember that he loved us even though we didn't deserve it.
It was a special thing to watch and it would be my hope that even though the army base is closing... they should continue this special performance for the public.
My father played the part of Peter in the performance some 20 years ago when I was a teenager. I remember the men of our church growing beards in preparation for the part they would play as one of the disciples of Jesus. The performance is based in part on the painting The Last Supper by Michelangelo. There is a table with the passover feast and the disciples enter the stage and take their places with Jesus the Rabbi at the center. Jesus says to the men, "One of you will betray me."
The performance then allows each man to explore his thoughts on this claim. Each man self reflects at his life and asks "It is I?"
I was moved last night as the congregation was invited to take part in communion with the actors when they broke bread together. Each person in the audience went to the front of the church and took the bread and the wine. The actor Jesus sitting at the table just smiled as so many came forward in this act of remembrance. That night Jesus knew that Judas would betray him but he also told Peter that he would deny him 3 times. Jesus knew that all of his followers would not be able to accept the cup that he had been given. With love he accepted them and with love he forgave them.
Jesus knew he would die, and the last supper was his chance to tell his followers that he loved them. The holy communion is a way to remember that he loved us even though we didn't deserve it.
It was a special thing to watch and it would be my hope that even though the army base is closing... they should continue this special performance for the public.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
movie/book discussion
Last night I attended a discussion tonight about Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" - it is coming out this Friday as a movie and the producer's step-son Mark Henderson, a Christian at Willowdale church- has written a response to the movie "Soul of Atlas". Mark has exclusive rights to show clips of the movie and he discussed growing up with an atheist step father and how he came to Christ. . (Thanks Mark) http://www.soulofatlas.com/
I never read Ayn Rand's books because I knew she was an atheist but now I am prompted to read them... since I want to understand. The discussion was much about how rational self interest is different from the Christian worldview of loving your neighbor as yourself... but it also pointedly stated that living to your highest level was important to both Christians and atheists... but Christians would tend to want to live their lives in a way that glorified God over self.
I think if Jesus is love and we put love in the picture that there should be a different dynamic - it is the only way...truly to make sense of it all.
I never read Ayn Rand's books because I knew she was an atheist but now I am prompted to read them... since I want to understand. The discussion was much about how rational self interest is different from the Christian worldview of loving your neighbor as yourself... but it also pointedly stated that living to your highest level was important to both Christians and atheists... but Christians would tend to want to live their lives in a way that glorified God over self.
I think if Jesus is love and we put love in the picture that there should be a different dynamic - it is the only way...truly to make sense of it all.
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