It Feels Like Easter

In thinking about what we have collectively been through, I looked at the texts of Easter hymns, because opening things up again has the feeling of resurrection.

From Hymn 175, “Hail thee, festival day!”:

6 - Jesus the health of the world, enlighten our minds, thou Redeemer, Son of the Father supreme, only-begotten of God: Hail thee, festival day!...

7 - Spirit of life and of power, now flow in the fount of our being, light that dost lighten all, life that in all dost abide: Hail thee, festival day!...

8 - Praise to the Giver of good! Thou Love who art author of concord, pour out thy balm on our souls, order our ways in thy peace: Hail thee festival day!...

 

As we tiptoe into parts of life that were temporarily taken from us, let us gratefully acknowledge that our Redeemer has never left our side.

Brad Norris

Minister of Music

Reclaiming the Meanings

Evangelism. There, I said it! While I'm at it, how about...revival? Yeah, yeah, I know: I'm from Kentucky, so I've experienced everything from growing up in the Episcopal Church to attending Mass with my Roman Catholic maternal grandmother to tent revivals at my paternal grandparents' Southern Baptist church where they try to yell Jesus into you to watching folks speak in tongues and falling out in the aisles at the church where a girl I dated in high school went. (No snake handlin', though!)

On Pentecost Sunday (May 23), Presiding Bishop Michael Curry preached during a service calling for revival in the Episcopal Church. Here's the thing, though: I understand well the hesitancy with the words "evangelism" and "revival". With unfortunate good reason, they have some negative connotation. But it hasn't always been so and need not continue to be. As Anne has pointed out in her Good News to Go forum series, it's a matter of definition. As we are now fully entered into the long Pentecost season, let's do some deeper searching, not only about the meaning but about the practice of evangelism and revival, and then do what would serve those words and our practice well: reclaim their meanings so that folks might actually hear and receive the good news of light and love in our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Marc