Celebrating God's Story
This entry is part of a set of discussions on Inhabiting God's Story
One way we inhabit God's Story is by celebrating it. The Lord gave Israel feasts to celebrate throughout the year, feast that represent important events in our Story. The church has done something similar by celebrating feasts and holy days throughout the liturgical year. And we enact God's Story every week through our various liturgies.
I am very interested in sources, precedent, and ideas on Christian ways to celebrate God's Story Old Testament style, with the seasons and the rhythms of life and God's provision (in harvest, etc.) as central to what we're celebrating. That is, celebrating not just redemptive events but also God's creative designs and purposes, his goodness and his blessings.
I also have questions about the ways in which we mix the themes of our celebrations with themes that don't belong in our Story. For instance, Easter is the day we celebrate the resurrection of the Son of God, and thus the launching of the new creation. But what do eggs and bunnies have to do with that? I've heard some say that they celebrate Easter with eggs and bunnies because they don't want to be known by what they don't do. That's fine, neither do I, but is that the best we can do? Is that all the church has to offer? We are the stewards of the gospel, you know. How does our playing with eggs and bunnies witness to the cosmic realities the resurrection has set in motion? How might we better witness to them, while still celebrating all that is worth celebrating with our neighbours?
Here's how my church is handling it, which I think is a pretty decent start: inviting our neighbors to our "Easter Eggstravaganza" while keeping the resurrection explicit and at the center:
I am very interested in sources, precedent, and ideas on Christian ways to celebrate God's Story Old Testament style, with the seasons and the rhythms of life and God's provision (in harvest, etc.) as central to what we're celebrating. That is, celebrating not just redemptive events but also God's creative designs and purposes, his goodness and his blessings.
I also have questions about the ways in which we mix the themes of our celebrations with themes that don't belong in our Story. For instance, Easter is the day we celebrate the resurrection of the Son of God, and thus the launching of the new creation. But what do eggs and bunnies have to do with that? I've heard some say that they celebrate Easter with eggs and bunnies because they don't want to be known by what they don't do. That's fine, neither do I, but is that the best we can do? Is that all the church has to offer? We are the stewards of the gospel, you know. How does our playing with eggs and bunnies witness to the cosmic realities the resurrection has set in motion? How might we better witness to them, while still celebrating all that is worth celebrating with our neighbours?
Here's how my church is handling it, which I think is a pretty decent start: inviting our neighbors to our "Easter Eggstravaganza" while keeping the resurrection explicit and at the center:
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