Christ Has Risen....

This was the cry that was heard throughout Christian Churches today as we celebrated the raising of Jesus from the dead. However, it was not a cry that was heard fervently in my church. When Pastor Dan first said, "Christ has risen", there were only a few voices out of the about 600 who were gathered that responded with the familiar "He is risen indeed" and when he tried it again, a few more voices joined in. It was not until the third or fourth time that he tried that people caught on and responded "He has risen indeed." Unfortunately, the response sounded very rote and practiced and not the shouts of people that were happy and excited.

What has happened to our churches? How can it be that people have become almost robotic and uncaring in their worship of our Savior? Is this why Jesus gave up His life for us, so that we could respond with no fervor whatsoever "ummmm, oh yah, ummm he has risen"?

I know that I put that last He without a capital "H" and I did it for a reason. The "He" (Christ) that we once cherished and revered has become an almost familiar and impersonal "he". We no longer revere Him, honor Him or worship Him out of a sincere sense of love for him, but almost out of a sense of obligation. In the past I have complained about the use of the Divine Service, but now I see how it can be useful, helpful and enjoyable in worship. For those of us who have never liked raising our arms in worship or dancing among the pews, responsorials like, "He is risen, indeed", "It is right to give Him thanks and praise," and "We lift them to the Lord." have been a way to show our fervor and love for Jesus without drawing attention to ourselves.

Don't get me wrong... the church I attend is a great church: strong in missionary activities, powerful messages of faith, wonderful teachers for our children, many opportunities to gather as a group in worship... but there seems to be missing something and it took me a while to figure it out.

I miss hearing the reading of the Word: the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Psalms and the Gospel. I miss hearing the pastor say "This is the Word of the Lord" and the congregation responding with a heartfelt "Thanks be to God." I am not saying that my church never reads from the Word, just that for the most part the focus is on the Good News and not on the Bible as a whole.

Hearing a reading from the Old Testament or an epistle, or singing a Psalm may be the only time that some people delve into these portions of the Bible. Unless we bring these parts of the Bible to be a part of the worship experience, we are not getting the whole story. This may sound very old-fashioned but there is nothing better than hearing the Word read by the Pastor with a concluding sentence like "This is the Word of the Lord," or "This is the Gospel of the Lord" followed by the congregation on mass saying "Thanks be to God", "Glory to You, O Lord, " or "Praise to You, O Christ."

Nunc Dimittis

O Lord, now let Your servant depart in heav'nly peace,

For I have seen the Glory of Your redeeming grace:

A light to lead the Gentiles unto Your holy hill,

The glory of Your people, Your chosen Israel.

All glory to the Father, all glory to the Son,

All glory to the Spirit, forever Three in One;

For as in the beginning, is now, shall ever be,

God's triune name resounding through all eternity!