March 31, 2018 - Easter Vigil - We Are What We Hear

The Service of Light began by kindling our Easter fire. The Paschal candle was lit and carried by Toni, stopping three times to chant the acclamation 'Light of Christ' to which the assembly responded 'Thanks be to God'. As the symbolic "Light of Christ" spread from candle to candle , some growing darkness in the evening light decreased.

After the Service of Light and the Easter Vigil Proclamation we moved into the Service of Readings. 

In past years the traditional Easter Vigil stories were told in entertaining, almost corny ways, for children. The Creation, Flood, Exodus, sometimes Valley of the Dry Bones stories were acted out with a great deal of humor, interpretation and improvisation.

Tonight they were straight readings from the Bible. The ancient stories about our shared faith that bind us together.

The Story of Creation is relatively straight forward in how I hear the traditional Genesis reading but the Story of  the Flood caused what is now my questioning response. Who is God and what are his motives in the Genesis account of the Flood? In many ways, this account is offered as a continuation of the Creation Story, only in reverse?  God, instead of confirming all parts of creation good, does not approve of men. God stating that disapproval starts the story of Noah. God looked upon earth and saw that everyone except Noah and his family were wicked (Genesis 6:5, 12). Creation is completed with divine approval, and the destruction of the world begins with that divine disapproval back to the separation of water from dry land.

With a straight reading the mysterious and puzzling pieces of the Story of  the Flood and Noah are not emphasized. Why God's covenant at the end? Did God learn something from the act of world destruction? Is the covenant against ever destroying the world again or simply that God's destruction will not happen with water? Is this a story we want to pass along about God without comment or context?

These questions were with me when the Story of Exodus came to the part that mentioned a part of a verse, I will quote in its entirety, "But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my people the Israelites.”

The Holy Spirit within me immediately disagreed with this verse's description.  God would not harden Pharaoh’s heart and then go on to punish Pharaoh and Egypt for what Pharaoh decided when his heart was hardened. Why would God harden Pharaoh’s heart just to judge Egypt more severely with more plagues and death?

Neither of these "stories of God" on the surface show a face or voice I recognize through Jesus. Being bound by tradition to tell these stories I trust new interpretations will be offered that do fit these into a our current New Testament understanding of God. 

After the stories the water of the baptismal font was blessed, we renewed our baptismal vows and received a sprinkling of baptismal water while we sang We Are Baptized in Christ Jesus. The emphasis was on washing. The great flood washed away bad things to start over again. The waters of baptism washed us clean. A stronger emphasis on purity than the waters of baptism connecting us to Christ and one another. Purity and cleanliness seem pervasive os far in our Holy Week services.

This is first service of Easter followed Creator traditions. Flowers were brought in. Everything draped in black was changed to drape in white. The banner, hidden in black until this part of the service, was revealed. We sang and spoke our first alleluias after Lent and ended with Creator's traditional Hallelujah, We Sing Your Praises.