Joy Comes In The Morning (And In The Mourning)

In The Morning

Last May I had the privilege of visiting St. Gregory’s Abbey in Three Rivers MI. We arrived there on Ascension Day (forty days after Easter) and the hallelujahs during Evening Vespers were something to remember. It was actually during that trip that I first learned of the age old Church tradition of not saying hallelujah in worship during Lent. The brothers, like so many Christians before them, had abstained from singing hallelujah for forty days – from Ash Wednesday through Good Friday and Holy Saturday until Easter Morning had broken like the first morning with the power of the Resurrection. Now they had been singing it for forty days and were ready to celebrate the ascending of our Lord to his throne. It was the beginning of a lot of things for me: a deeper appreciation of Church tradition, Liturgy and the Church calendar along with the habit, restraint and patience that is built into it. I was learning that whether in forty days or four that Joy will come in the morning.

It was a great stay with the brothers at St Gregory’s. They are a Benedictine Monastery, but they are part of the Episcopal Church so we were able to partake in the Eucharist with them. It was a time of mental and spiritual renewal.

However, it was also one of my first times hearing a classically liberal sermon. It was hard for me. In such a truly spiritually rich atmosphere where I was learning so much it was a temptation for me to uncritically accept everything I heard. One of the brothers gave a homily the second day that we were there about the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. He said that it really didn’t matter if one believed that Christ’s body was resurrected or if the disciples just experienced a ’spiritual resurrection’ of our Lord. He said that the important thing was that Jesus’ spirit could renew us like it had the original disciples. Finally, he said that he felt to argue over whether Jesus’ body was actually resurrected was not very Anglican and hardly seemed Christian. Well it was too hard to see it or say it then but on that issue my dear brother in Christ was wrong. It was hard for me to discern then, in part because my Mother had recently passed and was open to any thoughts on resurrection (Christ’s or ours) that seemed warm and fuzzy. But it is worth arguing over!!! Christ is risen from the grave and he is the first fruits of all who fall asleep in him. In a couple of days we celebrate Christ’s Resurrection again. And someday whether in four days or four thousand years the dead in Christ shall rise and celebrate his glory with him. In time. Until then we pray come Lord Jesus come. Joy comes in the morning.

In The Mourning

Now, I have been speaking thus far of an eschatological hope. The historical reality of the Christ event gives us hope for the future and this prayer I mention “come Lord Jesus come” reminds us of that and some morning Christians everywhere will wake up and it will be a regular day and Christ will return.

However, If tomorrow is just a regular day and Christ does not yet return Then I need to remember the further implications of our prayer, “Come Lord Jesus come.” He comes new to us each day reminding us of his love mercy and grace, reminding us to act justly love mercy and walk humbly with our God.

The transforming, redeeming and renewing power and grace of Christ’s resurrection is our comfort in times of trouble, grief and sorrow. The Holy Spirit that he sent to us after his Resurrection and Ascension testifies to this and leads us in spirit and truth. When times get hard when mothers die, friends hurt us or we hurt them, when there is no money left, when we mess it all up again or when we persist in doing good and are faithful and it seems to be a fruitless endeavor while the unloving and unkind seemed to be doing better than ever. Christ is risen and he comes in our mourning. This is the reason we can say Hallelujah 325 out of 365 days in the year.

Good Friday is almost here. Soon I will sit in Friday morning’s Tenebrae (service of shadows) at Calvin. I will confess how I made a mess of Lent again – I did better than last year but I still didn’t do all I should have or give all I should have given, how my feast days turned into feast weekends. And Christ will be there. And then Sunday I will read the Liturgy aloud with Erin and with the whole Church and affirm we believe he has risen and we will all say Hallelujah. And Christ will be there. In my mourning and the morning, come Lord Jesus come!

May the Joy of our risen Lord be your strength these final days of Lent and this Easter

Shalom,

Wayne