Liturgies, Old and New?

Today Christians celebrate the Pascha, Easter, the celebration of the resurrection. God came to Earth as a man. Known as Jesus of Nazareth he was, is, was forever and forevermore will be the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed of God.

Today as we worship we share the ancient liturgical greeting of the church--

He is risen.
He is risen, indeed. 

Unfortunately, for many in America this liturgy is being replaced with:

Now first a word on the word "liturgy." In the church today the word means the call and response between a pastor or worship leader and the congregation. This is unfortunate. What the word--the actual word--means is "Work of the people." Liturgy is work. Liturgy is how we live as Christians. Liturgy is how we show ourselves to the world.

There has been a lot of news lately about states and individuals that "choose not to cater" (my wording) to others for one reason or another.  Sexuality is the vogue right now. Bakeries, florists, and pizza parlors are the flavor of the day. This whole issue may be limited to a very few people, but the tempest suggests a hurricane.

And all Christians are being painted with the same brush, "No soup for you."

This does not sound scriptural to me.

According to Matthew's gospel it is written--

When the Pharisees heard that he (Jesus) had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:34-40)

While on Earth, Jesus the Christ, Joshua the Messiah confirms the greatest commandment of them all. It is to love God and love one another. That is the GREATEST COMMANDMENT! I just don't see how  "No soup for you" fits into loving God and one another.

God does not have to be defended. Let me say that again--God does not have to be defended. Today we testify God conquered death. Death. If God can conquer death what we throw in his face won't demand his "A game." Sin offends God, but after conquering death what we've got is small potatoes.

In this space I have recently said "Maybe it's time we get back to the basics of love." Nothing can be more basic than this, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

We will never demonstrate our love crying "No soup for you."

BUT BE WARNED, there is another injunction from scripture which we had better be wary of as well. This from Luke 18:

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)

That whole "Pride goes before the fall" thing? Yeah, it's scriptural. Let us not rejoice that "we're not sinners like them." That's bad form.

Instead this Easter, let us rejoice, "He is risen, He is risen indeed." Now let's go out there and live and love one another like Jesus did. If we do not then what did he die for?