Easter-Day (and Easter Week) - 2015

Easter-Day.

{For Easter Vigil: http://orderofcenturions.org/easter.html}

{At Morning Prayer, instead of the Psalm, O come, let us sing, &c. these Anthems shall be sung or said.}

CHRIST our passover is sacrificed for us : therefore let us keep the feast; Not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness : but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Cor. v. 7

Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more : death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once : but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin : but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. vi. 9

Christ is risen from the dead : and become the first-fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death : by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die : even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Cor. xv. 20.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee, that as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 25.1-9

Psalter: Psalm 2, 57, 111 | 113, 116, 117

Epistle Reading: Colossians 3.1-7

Gospel Reading: St. John 20.1-10

Homily: http://orderofcenturions.org/documents/easter_day.html#homily

Personal Reflections: This morning I was rummaging through the internet looking pictures to use that portray the Resurrection. I was struck that there were two or three modern images where Jesus is coming from the tomb and looks like a ghost. He is pictured as levitating, feet not touching the ground, body somewhat transparent, etc. Dear friends, this is a travesty! The Faith once for all delivered to the saints has always help that Jesus came forth from the tomb, body, blood, toenails and hair. As the Westminster Confession of Faith rehearses what Scripture teaches: “On the third day He arose from the dead, with the same body in which He suffered” (VIII.4). This is why we can face death, because we believe that whatever happened to Jesus will happen to us, “²⁰ For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: ²¹ Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Philippians 3.20-21); or again from the Westminster Confession of Faith, “At the last day, such as are found alive shall not die, but be changed: and all the dead shall be raised up, with the self-same bodies, and none other (although with different qualities), which shall be united again to their souls for ever” (XXXII.2). His soul or spirit didn’t rise; he came forth from the tomb fully and physically alive, never to be subject to mortality again, never to suffer death or dying (Romans 6.8-11). He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Monday in Easter-Week.

Psalm 62

Nonne Deo?

MY SOUL truly waiteth still upon God : for of him cometh my salvation.

2. He verily is my strength and my salvation : he is my defence, so that I shall not greatly fall.

3. How long will ye imagine mischief against every man : ye shall be slain all the sort of you; yea, as a tottering wall shall ye be, and like a broken hedge.

4. Their device is only how to put him out whom God will exalt : their delight is in lies; they give good words with their mouth, but curse with their heart.

5. Nevertheless, my soul, wait thou still upon God : for my hope is in him.

6. He truly is my strength and my salvation : he is my defence, so that I shall not fall.

7. In God is my health, and my glory : the rock of my might, and in God is my trust.

8. O put your trust in him alway, ye people : pour out your hearts before him, for God is our hope.

9. As for the children of men, they are but vanity : the children of men are deceitful upon the weights, they are altogether lighter than vanity itself.

10. O trust not in wrong and robbery, give not yourselves unto vanity : if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.

11. God spake once, and twice I have also heard the same : that power belongeth unto God;

12. And that thou, Lord, art merciful : for thou rewardest every man according to his work.

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY God, who through thy only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee, that, as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

For the Epistle: Acts 10.34-43

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 24.13-35

Tuesday in Easter-Week.

Psalm 113

Laudate, pueri

PRAISE the Lord, ye servants : O praise the Name of the Lord.

2. Blessed be the Name of the Lord : from this time forth for evermore.

3. The Lord’s Name is praised : from the rising up of the sun unto the going down of the same.

4. The Lord is high above all heathen and his glory above the heavens.

5. Who is like unto the Lord our God, that hath his dwelling so high : and yet humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and earth?

6. He taketh up the simple out of the dust : and lifteth the poor out of the mire;

7. That he may set him with the princes : even with the princes of his people.

8. He maketh the barren woman to keep house : and to be a joyful mother of children.

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee, that as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

{***Collect from the 1542 BCP for Tuesday in Easter-Week: ALMYGHTY father, whiche haste geven thy only sonne to dye for our synnes, and to ryse agayne for oure justificacion; Graunt us so to put awaye the leven of malyce and wyckednes, that we maye alwaye serve thee in purenes of lyvynge and truth; through Jesus Christe oure Lorde. }

For the Epistle: Acts 13.26-41

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 24.36-48

Easter Day - 2014

Easter-Day.

{At Morning Prayer, instead of the Psalm, O come, let us sing, &c. these Anthems shall be sung or said.}

CHRIST our passover is sacrificed for us : therefore let us keep the feast; Not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness : but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Cor. v. 7

Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more : death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once : but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin : but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. vi. 9

Christ is risen from the dead : and become the first-fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death : by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die : even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Cor. xv. 20.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee, that as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 25.1-9

Psalter: Psalm 2, 57, 111 | 113, 116, 117

Epistle Reading: Colossians 3.1-7

Gospel Reading: St. John 20.1-10

Toon: “( . . . ) LET US CELEBRATE WITH ALL JOY THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST FROM THE DEAD not only on Easter Day but for the whole of Eastertide.

But let us be wholly clear that it is Resurrection not Resuscitation that we celebrate!

What happened to Jesus on Easter morning was not resuscitation. The human soul did not reunite with a revived body to form a resuscitated, revived Jesus. In no way whatsoever, could Resuscitation have ever been the proclamation of GOSPEL by God the Father to those with ears to hear of the victory of the Incarnate Son over sin, evil, darkness, death and demonic power.

Resuscitation could never have been the statement that a new covenant between God and man was in place, that the old Mosaic covenant was obsolete, and that there was atonement, redemption, salvation, reconciliation & forgiveness of sins available through the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And neither could modern views of resurrection as "the spirit of Jesus surviving death" (with his body lost) be the statement of God's victory over darkness, evil, sin, death and Satan.

What happened on Easter morning was a miracle that was more, much more, than the resuscitation of the dead body of Jesus and its reuniting with his soul. The Miracle of Easter is that Jesus, the Incarnate Son of God, was raised from the dead into a new order of being and as a new form of humanity. His resurrection from the dead, while a continuance in personal identity, was at the same time a transformation of his human nature and body so that he became a resurrected, glorified, supernaturalized and immortalised Man (yet more than Man). His humanity, wholly transformed by the Spirit of God, contained and displayed the new order of being that is the kingdom of God. The Person of the Son of God now had not only his eternal divine nature with a human soul (as from Good Friday through Holy Saturday) but also a totally perfected, glorified, supernaturalized and immortalised human nature, body and soul.

Thus the cry, "Jesus is risen from the dead", is also the announcement that the new covenant between God and man is in place and is centred on the Mediator, Jesus. The new order and covenant reveals perfect human nature glorified through a perfect response to the Spirit of the Lord. It shows us the goal for which human nature was created by God, and to which it will be raised when the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus sets men free from the law of sin and of death. It shows both the crown of the purpose of God set forth in holy Scriptures and the crown of his purpose in the created world, wherein a new, dynamic, everlasting level & order of life succeeds to old levels that pass away. Jesus rose as the new Adam, the head and representative of a new humanity, the firstfruits of those who would follow him (see 1 Corinthians 15).

This explanation of the raising of Jesus as the Resurrected Lord of life and not as the resuscitated Rabbi makes it possible for us to see why Jesus did not appear to those who had handed him over to death (the Jewish Sanhedrin & the Roman Procurator and their helpers). By the laws of the new covenant and of the kingdom of heaven, the miracle of the Resurrection could only be made known to those who responded in penitence and faith to the new level of spiritual existence which it disclosed. It was not a portent that could be shown to anyone & everyone to press them or to scare them into belief! It was a miracle belonging to the realm of the kingdom of God and only those with eyes to see could see it.

The new Order of Being manifested and revealed in the risen Lord Jesus, the Messiah, needed a corresponding spiritual discernment to see its nature and reality, Thus Jesus appeared only to the disciples and to them on several occasions. In them he had sown the seed of faith and insight and they, as quickened by the Spirit of God, were able to begin to see him in his new identity, in his transformed and glorified manhood. That is they were able to receive the Revelation of his true identity as the Risen Lord and then worship him (as did Thomas) as "My Lord and my God".

To state all this is to agree with the Gospel records which make it absolutely clear that Jesus made no attempt whatsoever to appear to any others than his disciples.

However, to make this essential point about the revelation of a new order of being is not to discount historical evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus. There is historical testimony that points to the Resurrection of Jesus with overwhelming probability - for example (a) the disciples did not really expect the Resurrection; (b) the existence of the Church despite the great setback of Good Friday; (c) the claims of the disciples that Jesus actually appeared to them; (d) the empty tomb and (e) the absolutely new appreciation and understanding of the Scriptures by the apostles and disciples.

Ultimately, we must say that what it took on Easter Day and during the next 40 days first to SEE and then to receive Jesus as the Resurrected Lord, with his new covenant and kingdom, is ultimately what it takes now - a penitent, believing heart. "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved."”

{You will find much, much more here: http://www.pbs.org.uk/the-bcp/easter-day}

The First Sunday after Easter-2013

The First Sunday after Easter.

Psalm 143

Domine, exaudi

HEAR my prayer, O Lord, and consider my desire : hearken unto me for thy truth and righteousness’ sake.

2. And enter not into judgement with thy servant : for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

( . . . )

7. Hear me, O Lord, and that soon, for my spirit waxeth faint : hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

8. O let me hear thy loving-kindness betimes in the morning, for in thee is my trust : shew thou me the way that I should walk in, for I lift up my soul unto thee.

( . . . )

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY Father, who has given thine only Son to die for our sins, and to rise again for our justification; Grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may alway serve thee in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 43.1-12

Psalter: Psalm 110, 111 | 2, 57

Epistle Reading: 1 John 5.4-12

Gospel Reading: St. John 20.19-23

Barbee and Zahl: “What is the “leaven of malice and wickedness” which the Collect bids us put away? ( . . . ) “Leaven” refers to teaching (St. Matthew 16:11; St. Luke 12:1). Leaven is used in the Gospels to denote the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which is specified further, in Luke’s Gospel, as being hypocrisy. ( . . . ) So much emphasis is placed by their teaching on rectitude, that the motives and intentions inside the person come to be of less weight than the actual doing of things as observed from the outside. The problem with this, and the reason why Jesus excoriates it as producing “whited sepulchers,” which outside are nice enough to look at but inside are full of dead men’s bones (St. Matthew 23:27), is that performance on its own term can easily conceal a tawdry bag of mixed motives. The results of hypocrisy include malice (i.e., active resentment and envy) and wickedness (i.e., immorality, conspiracy, and active evil hidden). Now we can understand why the Collect focuses on the Lord who rose again “for our justification.” In order to avoid the “leaven” or teaching of Pharisaism, which clocks in the deed rather than the ‘will for the deed,” we have to know that our status before God has been secured previously. We do not require justification before other people, or self-justification, or even justification before God on the basis of any outward standard. God has justified us by placing us in a new sphere of unimpeachable regard. This He has done by virtue of the death and resurrection of Christ. Therefore, we, being justified, do not require the imperative “Just Do It.” Christ has done it. The Collect for Easter I, pure Thomas Cranmer in its formation, arrangement, and placement, draws profoundly on St. Paul’s linking of our justification with Christ’s resurrection in Romans 4:25. If the prayer does nothing more than send us back to that verse, it has done its job well” (53).

Mike

Primus Pilus II

Easter Day, Etc. - 2013

Easter-Day.

{At Morning Prayer, instead of the Psalm, O come, let us sing, &c. these Anthems shall be sung or said.}

CHRIST our passover is sacrificed for us : therefore let us keep the feast; Not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness : but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Cor. v. 7

Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more : death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once : but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin : but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. vi. 9

Christ is risen from the dead : and become the first-fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death : by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die : even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Cor. xv. 20.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee, that as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 25.1-9

Psalter: Psalm 2, 57, 111 | 113, 116, 117

Epistle Reading: Colossians 3.1-7

Gospel Reading: St. John 20.1-10

Monday in Easter-Week.

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY God, who through thy only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee, that, as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

For the Epistle: Acts 10.34-43

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 24.13-35

Tuesday in Easter-Week.

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee, that as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

For the Epistle: Acts 13.26-41

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 24.36-48