Excerpts From: The Messenger |
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Eugene Peterson tells us that, "The Bible is not a script for a funeral service, but it is the record of God always bringing life where we expected to find death. Everywhere it is the story of resurrection." With the past forgiven and the future opened with a cross-shaped hole blasted through the grave, the stress is on the present. Fridays may come but Monday is around the corner!
Easter is more than bunnies, brightly colored eggs and new clothes. But then hard questions must be answered. The preparation towards Easter morning----Palm Sunday, the last supper, Jesus praying in the garden, His arrest, the appalling crucifixion and the resurrection has to be more than just an annual story-time hour? doesn't it? The movie of the year may be a compelling drama but would you see it every year? I don?t think so. So how does Easter help us find real answers for turning our Fridays into Mondays?
Let?s remember the followers of Jesus as they removed his lifeless body from the cross and laid it in a borrowed tomb? How did they feel? For three years their lives had meaning and purpose. Once, they were preparing for a "New Kingdom" and Christ would be their Messiah. Now, they were holed up like frightened rabbits awaiting the strike of hungry predators. Confused, grief-stricken and deeply troubled the disciples faced a future filled only with despair.
But Easter morning brought about a dramatic transformation? ?Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was breaking in, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to see the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled aside the stone and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell and fainted. Then the angel spoke to the women. "?Don't be afraid!" he said. "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples he has been raised from the dead??" (Matthew 28:1-7)
Jesus was alive! The disciples could restore their broken dreams and continue preparations for a "New Kingdom." Their dreadful Friday was going to turn into a glorious Monday. Christ was their Messiah after all. No longer would they be frightened. The now bold followers of Jesus would launch a movement that would change the world. "Hear the Good News! Jesus Christ has defeated death and offers eternal life to all who believe."
We can now wake up on Monday morning in the secure knowledge that we will never again face life's obstacles alone! A risen Jesus gives us much needed hope for the future. Because Jesus is alive, Easter is never simply a story. Easter is a testimony of faith which offers continual guidance and courage to deal with Monday morning decisions we all face in life.
Most of all? Easter is the promise of living hope that will enable us to cope with disappointment and tragedy. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! It is worth celebrating the resurrection of Christ on Sunday morning. Remember that the tomb, after all, is empty. Christ is alive in us! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
May the Spirit of the Resurrected Christ live in you.
Amen.
Your friend and pastor,
Samuel King-Kabu.
There are seven romanesque round village churches in Denmark, dating from around the years 1150 ? 1250. Not many people are aware of this, not even people in Denmark!
On Bornholm you will find four round churches: Nykirke, Østerlars, Nylars and Olsker. On Sjælland you will find Bjernede round church (located near Sorø), in Jylland (Djursland) you will find Thorsager round church and on Fyn, Horne Round church.
A round church is a special type of construction having a completely circular plan. They were popular church constructions in Scandinavia in the 11th and early 12th centuries.
They are beautiful and very different. They were built with thick walls. 15 such churches were built on Bornholm, and all were situated within one hour?s walk from the coast. Only four remain today.
The early middle ages were not peaceful times. Vendig pirates attacked the Baltic shores. It was a time of much church building, and being practical the churches were also made as fortifications. In the middle ages the roofs of the churches were flat where guards could stand watching the arrival of possible enemies or perhaps Crusader ships which could come and take in provisions.
These were the times of the Baltic crusades. Bornholm was situated conveniently on the way to Latvia and Estonia. The island could be used for a stopover and to take on provisions. So, the churches were built also as storage houses. In the upper levels of the round churches many things could be kept concealed behind the (several feet) thick walls and provisions could be kept cool.
The crusader times may give another explanation to the shape of the round churches. It has no corners, so it is easy to defend. Further, the devil could not hide in the corners.
The most famous knights of the Crusades were the Knights Templar and their brother orders (The Maltese Knights, the Brethren of the Sword and the Teutonic Knights) and these warrior monk orders were very esoterically (unusual) oriented. They may have seen a round church as an expression of the perfection of the Divine but it is also a reminder of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem (which is actually octagonal). It is the present day Mosque of the Rock.
The Knights Templar were traditionally associated with the quest for the Holy Grail. Such a grail can be seen in the Nyker Church on the North side. Here we have Agnus Dei, which is also a typical Templar symbol. The holy blood pours into a chalice. Nylars is said to be the church of treasures, a place to keep riches, weapons and spoil from the crusades.
The Teutonic Knights (based in Germany) were said to work especially in the Baltic region.
Nylars is definitely worth a visit. It is one of the two larger round churches on Bornholm, situated 9.5 km from Rønne. It dates from around 1160. This church bears witness to its past use for defensive purposes to a greater degree than its fellow round churches on Bornholm and locals could find refuge there in case of pirates or robbers. It is regarded as the best preserved of the four round churches.
The Nave is supported by a single column in the centre of the perfect circle of the more than three metres thick outer walls. The murals around the central column tell the story of the creation of Adam and Eve, the Fall, and their banishment from the Garden of Eden. The Pulpit is French empire style.
There are two runic stones on either side of the main door on the inside of the front door (there are 40 runic stones in all of Bornholm). The inscription on the larger stone says: "Sasser erected this stone to his father Halvard, he drowned at sea with all his crew. Holy Christ have mercy on his soul. May this stone be long-lasting." Both runic stones are from the end of the Viking era.
The single square tower to the left or West of Nylars Round Church is the bell tower, and contains two bells. Nylars Church is dedicated to Saint Nicolas of Myra - the guardian angel of the seafarer.
Web Page prepared by:
Roger Kenner
& Jette Blair.
Content-New Topics Last Updated: 2010/07/15
St. Ansgar's Lutheran Church - Montreal