Easter VigilAll is not lost.
Yes, we watched the Savior die. Yes, we are overwhelmed by grief and sorrow and the reality that the world is very much not what it should be. But that is never the end of the story.
Holy Saturday is where we live--between the now and the not yet--between the pain of death and the full resurrection into life. We live in what often feels like a partially-illuminated world, glowing with the fire of the Spirit but not yet by the full force of the Son. And so we wait. We wait and watch--much like Advent. Only this time, we aren't waiting for the innocence of a baby but the full weight of the justice of God come to bear on the unrighteousness of sin. The wait is as much that of the Messiah as it is that of new life and new hope and new breath--a promise that this hasn't all been a waste of time.
So, as your prepare for worship, wait until the sun is down and it has become dark. Begin with the lights off in your home. Light your candles and begin with Creation: when Jesus said, "Let there be light." Keep some bread and juice or wine or water nearby because we will grow hungry and thirsty as we wait. Surround yourself with pictures of your loved ones because this night, all the world is brought together in the holy longing of resurrection.
And wait.
Yes, we watched the Savior die. Yes, we are overwhelmed by grief and sorrow and the reality that the world is very much not what it should be. But that is never the end of the story.
Holy Saturday is where we live--between the now and the not yet--between the pain of death and the full resurrection into life. We live in what often feels like a partially-illuminated world, glowing with the fire of the Spirit but not yet by the full force of the Son. And so we wait. We wait and watch--much like Advent. Only this time, we aren't waiting for the innocence of a baby but the full weight of the justice of God come to bear on the unrighteousness of sin. The wait is as much that of the Messiah as it is that of new life and new hope and new breath--a promise that this hasn't all been a waste of time.
So, as your prepare for worship, wait until the sun is down and it has become dark. Begin with the lights off in your home. Light your candles and begin with Creation: when Jesus said, "Let there be light." Keep some bread and juice or wine or water nearby because we will grow hungry and thirsty as we wait. Surround yourself with pictures of your loved ones because this night, all the world is brought together in the holy longing of resurrection.
And wait.
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