We spent some of Saturday in Durham. It’s always good to visit the cathedral. Two sacred spaces in my ministry have saved me - Hailsham Methodist Church after a rough time in 2018 and 2019 allowing me to be in the back row feeling rough and disillusioned with church - and Durham Cathedral in January 2007 when I contemplated leaving circuit ministry as I found myself embroiled in a situation down the road that spiralled out of control. I remember exactly where I sat one Friday morning that January and God told me in the peace and the story of that place to hang in there.
I discovered Holy Saturday worship a few years ago. It’s very powerful. I’ve done it in Hastings in the church in the Old Town - it ended with bubbly there! I’ve done it on Holy Island beginning on the beach as the paschal candle is lit from a fire and I’ve done it in Canterbury and in Ripon cathedrals. Usually it begins in the dark, various mighty acts of God are retold from scripture then we hear of resurrection. It used to be a shock to sing Christ the Lord is risen today about 9pm on Saturday until it occurred to me he rose in the night. He isn’t in the tomb on Easter Sunday morning!
Holy Saturday NOT Easter Saturday is about us waiting and being silent or rather drained (12 services done, three to go tomorrow) and God working in Jesus. After death he descended into hell and harrowed it. Holy Saturday is not just the day that we wait quietly and mournfully with Christ in the tomb. We also recognise that on this day Christ also descended to the place of the dead and rescued all faithful souls, bringing them into the full glory of His Father’s kingdom.
Durham Cathedral does the Easter vigil differently to others I’ve been to. This was earlier and we just had the mighty acts of God in the Old Testament read. They meet to do the Easter bit at five in the morning! But we ended part one with this amazing ancient homily maybe from the eighth century, its author unknown but a phenomenal piece of writing. Jesus descends into hell and meets Adam and undoes all the wrong Adam has done, I love the tree bit! Then he says “come on, let’s get out of here!” Fabulous. Read it slowly. I hope like me it makes absolute sense of what Easter is. Not fluffy bunnies but a complete overhaul of everything including those with no hope. Eternal life is about second chances. Even in hell!
“Something strange is happening — there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and He has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.
He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death (Luke 1:79), He has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, He who is both God and the son of Eve.
The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won Him the victory. At the sight of Him, Adam, the first man He had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: ‘My Lord be with you all.’ Christ answered him: ‘And with your spirit.’ He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.’ (Ephesians 5:14)
‘I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.
For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth (Philippians 2:6-7). For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden and I was crucified in a garden.
See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.
I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.
Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God.
The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.’
Wow!
It felt like coming home being in Durham Cathedral today. Methodists don’t do Holy Saturday. I’d just like to recommend even though it’s knackering to do all of Holy Week properly is liberating and God speaks through all its parts as the story of our salvation wrought comes alive.
So to bed - we lose an hour and I am out the door at 7.30 :)
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