This very special ORTHODOX EASTER SUNDAY
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He Is Risen!

Orthodoxy and Calendars

We are here to rejoice in solidarity with our Orthodox brothers and sisters as they celebrate the resurrection of our Savior today. But first, let’s spend a moment thinking about why calendars were so important that two of the oldest sects of Christianity are unable to pick the same date for Easter?

While the issue is somewhat complicated, it may be summarized in the two factors at work that cause this conflict in dates:
1) The issue of the calendar; and
2) the adherence by the Orthodox to the early practices of the Christian Church.

— Why is Orthodox Christian Easter later than the Catholic one?

For the last week I’ve been pondering this. I’m not an expert on anything, but it seems that it has to do with the character of each stream of the faith. I’m thinking about that in the context of the God’s gifts to the Church.

And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, or building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,to the extent of the full stature of Christ…  Ephesians 4:11-13

The early Fathers of the Church that stood their ground against every heresy. Those following in their footsteps would be expected to default to standing their ground against suggested changes to the traditions. This is a good thing. It could be seen as the role of the Prophet in the Church. I’m seeing the Orthodox church as more strongly inclined to resist change. (Of course, there could be geopolitical reasons too.)

But consider if they have been gifted to stand like the prophets of old. Those who were willing to stand by the truth–from God–against every attempt to change it no matter what. If this is true, it would not surprise us that traditional methods for determining where Resurrection Sunday falls on the Calendar each year continue to be strictly followed in the Orthodox tradition. Also, the reasoning makes a lot of sense. The resurrection necessarily follows AFTER the Passover which is the foreshadowing of the sacrifice of God’s own Son to redeem us all from sin and death.

Most divisions between Orthodox and Roman Catholic are not emphasized in our day, but the calendar issues are the ones that seem to create the most visible separation.

While I might be understanding of how the Gregorian calendar came about, I also have a great deal of respect for the Orthodox Christian’s devotion to tradition and honor for the early practices of the Christian Church.

T*3

What Is Eastern Orthodox Easter?

Customs, greetings, and foods by Mary Fairchild from LearnReligions.com

Easter season is the most significant and sacred time of the Orthodox Church calendar. Orthodox Easter consists of a series of celebrations or movable feasts commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Observances of Eastern Orthodox Easter

In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the spiritual preparations begin with Great Lent, 40 days of self-examination and fasting (including Sundays), which starts on Clean Monday and culminates on Lazarus Saturday.

Clean Monday falls seven weeks before Easter Sunday. The term “Clean Monday” refers to cleansing from sinful attitudes through the Lenten fast. Lazarus Saturday occurs eight days before Easter Sunday and signifies the end of Great Lent.

Next comes Palm Sunday, one week before Easter, commemorating the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, followed by Holy Week, which ends on Easter Sunday, or Pascha.

Fasting continues throughout Holy Week. Many Orthodox churches observe a Paschal Vigil which ends just before midnight on Holy Saturday (or Great Saturday), the last day of Holy Week on the evening before Easter. Immediately following the vigil, Easter festivities begin with Paschal Matins, Paschal Hours, and the Paschal Divine Liturgy.

Paschal Matins is an early morning prayer service or part of an all-night prayer vigil. Paschal Hours is a brief, chanted prayer service, reflecting the joy of Easter. And Paschal Divine Liturgy is a communion or Eucharist service. These are the first celebrations of Christ’s resurrection and are considered the most important services of the ecclesiastical year.

After the Eucharist service, the fast is broken, and the feasting begins.

Orthodox Easter Traditions and Greetings

It is customary among Orthodox Christians to greet one another during the Easter season with the Paschal greeting. The salutation begins with the phrase, “Christ ​is Risen!” The response is “Truly; He is Risen!” The phrase “Christos Anesti” (Greek for “Christ is Risen”) is also the title of a traditional Orthodox Easter hymn sung during Easter services in celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection.

In the Orthodox tradition, eggs are a symbol of new life. Early Christians used eggs to symbolize the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the regeneration of believers. At Easter, eggs are dyed red to represent the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross for the redemption of all men.

Eastern Orthodox Easter Foods

Greek Orthodox Christians traditionally break the Lenten fast after the midnight Resurrection Service. Customary foods are a lamb and Tsoureki Paschalino, a sweet Easter dessert bread.

Serbian Orthodox families traditionally begin the feasting after Easter Sunday services. They enjoy appetizers of smoked meats and cheeses, boiled eggs and red wine. The meal consists of chicken noodle or lamb vegetable soup followed by spit-roasted lamb.

Holy Saturday is a day of strict fasting for Russian Orthodox Christians, while families stay busy making preparations for the Easter meal. Usually, the Lenten fast is broken after the midnight mass with traditional Paskha Easter bread cake.

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This very special SPECTACULAR SUNDAY
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Spectacular Sunday

On this one day let this sink in…

^1-2 Friends, let me go over the Message with you one final time— this Message that I proclaimed and that you made your own; this Message on which you took your stand and by which your life has been saved. (I’m assuming, now, that your belief was the real thing and not a passing fancy, that you’re in this for good and holding fast.)

^3-9 The first thing I did was place before you what was placed so emphatically before me: that the Messiah died for our sins, exactly as Scripture tells it; that he was buried; that he was raised from death on the third day, again exactly as Scripture says; that he presented himself alive to Peter, then to his closest followers, and later to more than five hundred of his followers all at the same time, most of them still around (although a few have since died); that he then spent time with James and the rest of those he commissioned to represent him; and that he finally presented himself alive to me. It was fitting that I bring up the rear. I don’t deserve to be included in that inner circle, as you well know, having spent all those early years trying my best to stamp God’s church right out of existence.

 — 1 Corinthians 15:1-9

^10-11 But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I’m not about to let his grace go to waste.Haven’t I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? Even then, my work didn’t amount to all that much. It was God giving me the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it. So whether you heard it from me or from those others, it’s all the same: We spoke God’s truth and you entrusted your lives.
^12-15 Now, let me ask you something profound yet troubling. If you became believers because you trusted the proclamation that Christ is alive, risen from the dead, how can you let people say that there is no such thing as a resurrection? If there’s no resurrection, there’s no living Christ.And face it—if there’s no resurrection for Christ, everything we’ve told you is smoke and mirrors, and everything you’ve staked your life on is smoke and mirrors. Not only that, but we would be guilty of telling a string of barefaced lies about God, all these affidavits we passed on to you verifying that God raised up Christ—sheer fabrications, if there’s no resurrection.
^16-20 If corpses can’t be raised, then Christ wasn’t, because he was indeed dead. And if Christ weren’t raised, then all you’re doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever. It’s even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection, because they’re already in their graves. If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we’re a pretty sorry lot. But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries.

 — 1 Corinthians 15:10-20

This very special TURNING POINT FRIDAY
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Turning Point Friday

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,” — 1 Corinthians 15:3

This very special WYSIWYG THURSDAY
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WYSIWYG

(What You See Is What You Get)

This very special Worthy Is The Lamb WEDNESDAY
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Worthy Is The Lamb

Revelation, chapter 5

The Lamb Opens the Scroll

¹ Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals. ² And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?” ³ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it.

⁴ Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. ⁵ But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
⁶ Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. ⁷ He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. ⁸ And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. ⁹ And they sang a new song with these words:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and break its seals and open it.

For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God
    from every tribe and language and people and nation.

¹⁰ And you have caused them to become
    a Kingdom of priests for our God.
    And they will reign on the earth.”

¹¹ Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. ¹² And they sang in a mighty chorus:

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—
    to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
    and honor and glory and blessing.”

¹³ And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:

“Blessing and honor and glory and power
    belong to the one sitting on the throne
    and to the Lamb forever and ever.”

¹⁴ And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.

And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation.

And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made.

Revelation 13:7-8