President Obama picked the self-described “Church of the Presidents,” a history-drenched Episcopal church across from the White House, for his first venture to services since he was inaugurated Jan. 20.
The Obamas’ Easter visit to St. John’s Church doesn’t mean they have found a permanent place of worship in the capital.
[blockquote]”I can’t explain Easter to you — it just can’t be done,” rector Luis Leon said.[/blockquote]
Using a phrase Obama employed about when life begins maybe Easter is above the rector’s “pay grade”.
This was a nice safe choice. I will continue to pray for him and the country.
On a side note, I have an ingrained reaction against the phrase “Easter Sunday”. Easter is always on Sunday, it’s like saying “Sunday Sunday”. Say Easter Day, that is sufficient (though probably not a salvation issue).
Hey, at least he WENT to church. Good for him.
IMO, the Rector was exhibiting what is becoming a typical Episcopalian clergy response to Christian theology: “Who knows? Not me! Let each decide for themselves.”
We can explain Easter very well, in just a few words:
“Alleluia! The Lord is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!”
A former Rector of mine once opened his Easter sermon with “If you ever ask a priest “What happened on Easter?” and the priest responds: “Well, that’s complicated…” run. Do not walk; run away from that priest as fast as you can.
What happened on Easter? God the Father raised Jesus Christ to new life. “What” is not difficult. “How,” on the other hand, is almost always difficult and we will never really know this side of heaven. I know that God raised Jesus to defeat death and sin and to pay the price for my sins (and the sins of the whole world). That’s all I need to know. I don’t need to know how.
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
“That all people may be filled with the bounty of your creation.” What does that mean? I am always amazed at how creation and evolution can exist side by side in TEC.
“… his first venture to services since he was inaugurated Jan. 20”
That too reveals certain priorities.
The first step toward becoming an effective president, in my opinion, is to recognize that you aren’t going to be able to please everyone. That’s when you transition from campaign mode to actual service mode. Where it concerns a choice of churches, I hope our president makes the best choice for himself and his family and lets the chips fall where they may.
Someone should point out that Ronald Reagan rarely attended church while in office.
#8,
Precisely —
I did not vote for Mr. Obama, but I voted against him as a potential chief executive of the government of the United States and commander in chief of its armed forces. I did not vote against him as religious guru, theologian in chief, or anything in any religious capacity. I have not liked much of what he has done in office, but his choice of which church to attend (or whether to attend church at all) is not part of his job description. (I voted for Romney in the primaries, and it sure wasn’t for this theological convictions).
#9: Jim Wallis often did.
#8 And, someone should point out that he did so to avoid inconveniencing regular parishioners. Wherever Obama chooses to go will have to install metal detectors and allow every attendee to be screened prior to the service.
#2 Easter is a Sunday but it is also a season, a respite from Lent. With that in mind I think it is appropriate to say Easter Sunday. Today is Easter Monday.
#12. Adam 12,
In correcting #2 you also corrected my thinking on this. Thanks!
It is Easter DAY in the 1928 BCP and it’s predecessors. Not sure how it is listed in the new book.
No. 11 Phil: That’s exactly why St. John’s was a good choice for Obama: the parish is set up for presidential attendance; at least, I assume that it still is. I was a seminarian there back in the mid ’70’s and remember that there was a red phone in the sacristy. That was a long time ago and I’m sure the security measures are even more stringent now than they were then, but St. John’s parishioners might be less disrupted than people in other churches for such an event.
No one can explain Easter — no real preacher really trys to — we don’t explain it — we proclaim it. “He lives!” That is the message given by Peter and Paul in the lessons from Easter Sunday. It is not like dormant flowers and trees blooming in the spring — it is not like anything any human being can get their intellects and heads around. As NT Wright said, “Easter is the single most important and central event in the history of the world to which all creation is drawn to and from which all is made new.” (I paraphrased this a little as I didn’t have it right in front of me). We can explain why the death and resurrectionwere necessary and we can tell of the results. Gospel preaching is proclomation — the good news — the telling of what is true with authority.