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The
Passion of the Christ CELTIC EASTER
by Mary C. Earle AT
TIMES OF WAR
The Miracles Within
God Turns Anxiety to Faith; Anger to Hope; Fear to Love
by Lowell E. Grisham STEPPING
STONES
The
Journey of Faith
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Easter
Silence!
by
The Rev. Dr. Douglass Bailey
So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized
them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.—Mark 16:8
That's
the way the Easter story closes in Mark's Gospel, the first and
oldest Gospel, appointed to be read for Easter, 2000. "They
said nothing." There is only silence. Easter silence. After
thirty five years in parish ministry one would think that I should
have something to write about when Easter comes around. But the
honest truth is, as I write this, my hand trembles for fear you
will not understand that I do not know how to write or preach
about Easter. It is too much! It is God's most outrageous, unbelievable
action. Life walks out of death. Does it not take your breath
and words away? As in Mark's Gospel, maybe we Easter 2000 disciples
should flee to our churches, our empty tombs, and sit for an
hour in silence. Fat
chance of that, I know. No choirs and trumpets. No hymns and
alleluias. No sermons and sacraments. No "He is risen!" and
the corresponding response: "The Lord is risen indeed." Just
silence. An hour of uncomfortable silence. Pondering a dead Jesus
- and God's radical message about him . . . "You are looking
for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He has been raised;
he is not here. Go tell his disciples that he is going ahead
of you ..." Without
a word, we would then run from our Easter worship into our contemporary
Mondays and Tuesdays, etc. Not a word from our lips. No talking
the talk. Only walking the walk. Easter silence! Easter life! It
is worth a silent thought. Blessed Easter.
This
article first appeared April 23, 2000 in THE CHRONICLE, the
newsletter of Calvary
Episcopal Church, Memphis, Tennessee.
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