Sunday, April 12, 2020

Do Not Despair...

(Source)
Because of the empty tomb, we were given peace. Because of His resurrection, we can have peace during even these troubling times because we know He is in control of all that happens in the world. - Russ Kinion
My religious posts, my faith posts if you will, tend to get far fewer "hits" than my regular posts. The historical posts seem to garner the most hits. That being said, I get it, I truly do. Often I will go to a blog I normally read and if I see a "religious" post, sometimes I will move along.

Religion, Faith, whatever you want to call it, is a deeply personal thing for me. My Creator, my Savior, and the Spirit of the Living God are my constant companions in this world. Have been for as long as I can remember, but these feelings intensified once The Missus Herself dragged me, kicking and screaming, back into church, shortly after I retired from the Air Force.

In twenty-four years in the service, I went to church services exactly twice. Once in Basic Training, when it was a non-optional event, and again in Tech School when another airman and I volunteered to go hear a general give a speech, on a Sunday, in a church. Not being particularly bright I suppose, I neglected to add two and two together properly and wound up with three as my answer. On the plus side we were excused from normal details (which usually involved cleaning something) for a week. Anything to get out of a detail works for me.

Anyhoo...

I wrote an Easter post a couple of years ago which still rings true to me, at least in my own estimation, your mileage may vary. So I repeat it here, it was a good post, a satisfying post to write, and told the story I wished to tell effectively. At least I thought so.

But my own efforts are small potatoes compared to the greatest story ever told, that of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, some two millennia ago. From St. Paul, in a different context, but these words give me comfort in these troubled times...
For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. - 2 Corinthians 1 8:10 (ESV)
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. - 2 Corinthians 4 8:10 (ESV)

May God's Peace be with you all...

(Source)
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” Matthew 28:1-7


When I was young, Easter was about colored eggs, chocolate, and the Easter bunny. To say that I didn't understand what Easter was really about is something of an understatement. Then again, to expect a child to understand the import of exactly what Easter is about is perhaps expecting a bit much.

It was many years before I truly began to understand what this day means.

He came as a man, born into humble circumstances though surrounded by angels. He became a carpenter and a teacher. He was sent as the Messiah, though most of us did not receive Him as such.

He was condemned, tortured, and sent to die in a most horrible fashion.

But little did the powers of this Earth know, there was no tomb built which could hold the Son of Man. He arose from the dead. Having paid the price for our sins and our sinful nature He now sits at the right hand of the Father.

Death has been conquered. Paradise has been opened.

“Why do you look for the living among the dead?"

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words. - 
Luke 24:1-8 (NIV)


So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. - John 20:3-8 (NIV)






42 comments:

  1. just to put maybe not fear of God, but awe and reverence:
    https://youtu.be/Dj3aNfNgQ4A
    Te Deum Laudamus in Polish
    (also traditionally sung in times of great national glory and victories)
    My own take on religion is kinda wayward sheep of the Catholic church - I am not taking part in organised faith but I am willing to go lengths towards defending the faith from predations of the "cultural marxists". On the other hand, I am willing to believe that God in his wisdom looks more to the hearts and deeds of people than outward manifestations of faith.
    And on yet another level I am aware of history of church that spawned both inquisitors and people of great compassion, crusaders and beggar orders... Finally I do believe that Christendom in varying forms is result of us, fallible people trying to decipher God's will that is sometimes difficult to interprete.

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    1. That was beautiful, my friend.

      "fallible people trying to decipher God's will" - I believe that as well.

      Wesołego Alleluja!

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    2. Religion, true religion, comes from within. Just going and showing up and mouthing whatever one is supposed to mouth, without real feeling, real belief, is not religion. That is just social gathering. The more fundamentalist out there believe that type of service steps dangerously into the Devil's territory.

      Me? I consider myself Roman Catholic to the core. Mother Church and many of its top administrators? Well, back in medieval times, we might be having an internal Crusade or some anti-popes until She gets back in line with The Message.

      As to Crusades in general, they do tend to spring up during the rise of great threats to Mother Church.

      You Poles were involved in one, basically. And thankfully for the rest of Christendom.

      And I sing an internal Te Deum every time I think about it.

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  2. The message of Easter means all the more these days. Rejoice in the promise! Thanks Sarge.

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  3. This will be the first Easter (and fourth Sunday in a row)I have missed Mass. I'm really starting to get PO'd about this crap! I don't go to church to socialize although I do get a feeling of fellowship when I see regular parishioners that I know are going through phases of life, some good, some not so good. But, I don't do it because of them or, much less, the Priest. I do it to be with HIM in my thoughts. So, yeah, Sarge, I get the "Religion, Faith, whatever you want to call it, is a deeply personal thing for me. My Creator, my Savior, and the Spirit of the Living God are my constant companions in this world." and agree wholeheartedly.

    Well said!

    BTW, I think the Lord might be getting a little perturbed about the quarantine in place thing also. This morning, at O547 Easter Sunday, AKA just about Dawn, my phone dinged and announced that my little section of Texas was under a Tornado Warning, meaning an actual tornado had been spotted or indicated on Radar. While common further north, and not unheard of here, it's comparatively rare around here. Figured the Big Guy was indicating He thinks his Son rising from the Dead IS a big deal.

    I agree.

    Happy Easter, Sarge and all y'all. See you tomorrow.

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    1. The biggest deal in the history of the Universe.

      Happy Easter to you and yours juvat!

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    2. It is the forces of Evil testing us and our Faith. Hold the Line, Brothers and Sisters, and we will weather this attempt by the Devil in the form of the CCP and the DNC (after all, there would be no lockdown if Austin (city) had just behaved) and come out stronger.

      Families have been forced to be together. And this is a good thing. Domestic Violence, except in the big cities, is at an all-time low. People are re-connecting in real life with people who they formerly just shared living quarters with.

      And Federal Judges have ruled that stopping drive-in church services (using the same radio tech as the Christmas light displays) are not a violation of any distancing order.

      It's going to be an interesting time when we all come out in a few weeks. Already we are seeing tyrannical tyrants extending the scope and length of closures, and the newly re-Constitutional federal judiciary (thank you, President Donald J. Trump and your administration for that) seems to be smacking over-reaching authorities as quickly as a Facebook administrator on a Tea Party site.

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    3. Trying times, we will get through this!

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  4. I read ‘em all, Sarge.
    I just don’t necessarily comment.

    He Is Risen!

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  5. Hey AFSarge;

    Thank you for the Religious Post, I normally don't talk about religious items on my blog because it is a personal thing to me. Faith is private part of me and very few see it. I do enjoy the post however. Because of you posting what you posting, I will post a church experience from Basic training in Leonard Wood on Tuesday so it is your fault so there :P LOL. Seriously though Happy Easter to you and the Misses on this fine Day.

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    1. Same to you and yours MrG!

      Looking forward to the story!

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    2. Hey AFSarge;

      It will post on Tuesday, already loaded on the scheduler thingie, I would post it tomorrow, but Monday is "Monday Music" for me so I gotta roll with my staple. I think you will enjoy it, my wife got a chuckle out of it...again.

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    3. Thanks for the heads up MrG!

      (Always stick with the plan!)

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  6. I'm with Juvat - I miss Mass! My parish streams Mass every Sunday, and I was able to watch the Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday Masses, but I miss my church family. I miss receiving holy Communion, I miss the fellowship after Mass, as we slowly wander out to the parking lot. I want my normal back! Anyway, another great post! My eyes are leaking. Happy Easter to all! He is Risen!

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    1. He is Risen Indeed!

      I too want my normal back.

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  7. You gotta love the painting of Peter and John! We're the type where a picture in our mind helps us understand stuff - at least I am. What does the Lord look like? Probably not the handsome, blue eyed blond guy you see in some pictures. He is probably a lot like those Apostles so well rendered.
    I'm having trouble this year wondering which day I love the most. Friday, He gave the gift. Sunday we opened it!

    Alleluia!

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    1. I love that painting, to me it encapsulates the true meaning of this day.

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  8. First, must get all religiously conspiratorial. Did you see the Communist Chinese woman grab the Pope on New Year? And then he becomes mysteriously sick in two weeks, but it's not Corona-Wuhan. Hmmmmmm...

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    1. Didn't know that!

      The Chicoms will pay, they MUST pay.

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  9. And then, well, like the first Christians, we all seem to be persecuted for our beliefs, which haven't shaken them, they've strengthened them.

    If we can't, or won't, stay with the Faith in dark times, do we truly deserve His suffering? But everyone here and on other boards seems to show a strengthening Faith. Almost like Faith has been resurrected.

    My wife and I, though not Mass attendees for a whole host of reasons, are closer to the Faith today than ever before. We have survived the denials of Peter, and come out stronger.

    He came. He had doubts. He was troubled. He was persecuted. He died. He fought evil for those that came before. And He rose, for all those that were alive then and would come in the future.

    And that's what matters. He cared enough to give us all souls. He cared enough to be the stern parent when we wobbled around like idiot children. He cared enough to give us part of Him for such a little time, knowing that we petulant children would hurt Him. And yet He cared enough to allow us to become adults in His eyes.

    He Cared and He Cares still.

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  10. Happy Re-Birth Day to everyone. I very much miss Mass. First time in probably 20 years where my wife and I haven't taken a photo of us in our Easter dress outside our church. I get a lot out of the faith community in my church, as well as being a lector, and I'm not as connected without it. For those who don't or can't attend church services, I suppose this quarantine is no big deal in the faith department though. I'm glad that I acquired a stronger sense of faith when I was in college, one founded by my devout mother, although none of my siblings have remained Catholic. My kids were instilled in the same, but my daughter has no faith or belief now. Something I pray about regularly. I wonder what the stats would be for parents who decided not to attend church (like their parents) and whether their kids eventually came to be attendees without the foundation they chose to let go. Anyway, I hope you all have a joyous Easter, even if it's so different from any other we've ever had.

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  11. I am mostly a whiner. However, when the stuff gets real and I really am afflicted, I am not crushed. I am often perplexed but I need not despair. I have been and will surely again be persecuted, but I am never forsaken. I get struck down all the time, usually because I pushed the "strike me down" button, yet I am never destroyed. This is the great fact of my life; that I was cast out but also saved, and today I walk in the sunshine of the spirit. Except when I go charging off the path with a better idea. The path is always illuminated though, and I can always find my way back after I've suffered enough from self inflicted misery.

    Cold and snowy in Nebraska today. It feels very much like God threw the weather my way as an opportunity to choose between whining about it or delighting in his work.

    Fantastic post Sarge. Thanks.

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    1. Hope all is well out there Shaun. Snow in April who'da thunk it?

      Oh wait, Nebraska, never mind.

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  12. Well, haven't been to church in quite a while, usually because I was working,although I no longer have that as an excuse with this new job. But, just because I am not sitting in the pews doesn't mean I'm not talking to The Man. He is with us always. And very, very grateful I am for that.
    He Is Risen!!

    Hoping all have had a Blessed Easter.

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    1. He is Risen Indeed!

      Happy Easter to you and yours Suz!

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  13. I wonder if part of the reason people shy away from religious posts is - there have been too many busybodies who have taken the approach that they are the final authority on what you should and shouldn't be doing, where we all should be thinking of ourselves as students of His Word. Of course, that requires some degree of humbleness and introspection.
    Frank

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    1. Humbleness and introspection are very hard.

      But you're right Frank.

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    2. I'm not exactly a Christian (though I was more-or-less raised that way, by default) nor any religion, but I enjoy the religious posts. There's a lot to be learned discovering the finer points, though I personally believe miracles were ex post facto inventions by over-enthusiastic converts or charlatans (some of which survived to be remembered, and far fewer to be believed), but the core story and teachings are valid. There are far too many busybodies, for sure. When I was was kid in Pensacola, it was the hard-line Fundamentalists that did the browbeating. Now it's more often the anti-religious. Either way, it's doubleplus ungood. :(

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    3. Can't stand fanatics of any stripe!

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  14. I liked your religious post.

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