it's easter again ! (2008), orthodox easter by vanderkok
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8/14/2019 IT's EASTER AGAIN ! (2008), Orthodox Easter by vanderKOK
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ABOVE: WHY DO SOME CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE EASTER WITH
EGGS ? WHY DO OTHER CHRISTIANS OBJECT TO THE USE OF EGGS
AS AN EASTER SYMBOL ? FIND OUT BELOW
4/27/08
ITS EASTER,ITS EASTER !
AGAIN !
ITS EASTER AGAIN! ORTHODOX EASTER 4/27/08
DID you know that TODAY IS EASTER?! YES,
again. Not for mainline Protestant or Catholic
churches, but for the EASTERN ORTHODOX
church this is EASTER !
Easter is not only a movable holiday but a
multiple one: in most years Western Christian
http://www.factmonster.com/spot/movablefeasts1.htmlhttp://www.factmonster.com/spot/movablefeasts1.html -
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churches and Eastern Orthodox churches
celebrate Easter on different dates. In 2008, for
example,Easteris celebrated on March 23 by
Western churches and April 27 by Orthodoxchurches. But in 2007, the two celebrations
occurred on the same date, April 8.
The churches base the dates on different
calendars: Western churches use the Gregorian
calendar, the standard calendar for much of
the world, and Orthodox churches use theolder,Julian calendar.
SEEhttp://www.factmonster.com/spot/easter1.html
SO those of you (or us) who go by the
GREGORIAN CALENDAR celebrated EASTER
several weeks ago, and the EASTER SEASON is
coming to an end, but for the EASTERN
ORTHODOX who use theJULIAN
CALENDAR EASTER IS TODAY and the
EASTER SEASON will span another month or so.
http://www.factmonster.com/id/CE016048.htmlhttp://www.factmonster.com/id/A0463683http://www.factmonster.com/id/A0463683http://www.factmonster.com/cgi-bin/id/A0502060.htmlhttp://www.factmonster.com/spot/easter1.htmlhttp://www.factmonster.com/id/CE016048.htmlhttp://www.factmonster.com/id/A0463683http://www.factmonster.com/id/A0463683http://www.factmonster.com/cgi-bin/id/A0502060.htmlhttp://www.factmonster.com/spot/easter1.html -
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In fact, I wanted to attend an ORTHODOX
EASTER SERVICE, in my continuing quest to
BRIDGE THE GAP between the different FAITH
TRADITIONS but I REALIZED too late that they
celebrate EASTER at MIDNIGHT (or at least the
one I went to was not open at 8 a.m. ) and looking
online it apparently is the custom of the orthodox,
in general, to celebrate EASTER at midnightor
the early possible moment as they say.
Ive been visiting different churches of different
traditions over the course of the past few years,
including some of the ORTHODOX
CHURCHES, including COPTIC around
Southern California.
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And the ORTHODOX worship differently than
many of the WESTERN churches, --at least that
has been my PERSONAL OBSERVATION based
on the COPTIC CHURCHES Ive visted this year.
You ALSO KNOW (or should know) that the
JEWISH just celebrated PASSOVER last week,
and the EASTERN CHURCH always makes sure
that their EASTER CELEBRATION comes
AFTER PASSOVER, never before (so they say).
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The Eastern Orthodox Church also applies
the formula so thatEaster always falls after
Passover, since the Crucifixion and
Resurrection ofChristtook place after heentered Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. In the
Western Church, Easter sometimes precedes
Passover by weeks.
There have been proposals, including the 2nd
VATICAN COUNSEL in 1963, to have a FIXED
EASTER DATE common to both the EASTERN
& WESTERN CHURCHES but so far it has not
been acted upon see
http://www.factmonster.com/spot/easter1.html
In fact, the ORTHODOX usually refer to
EASTER as PASCHA.
Pascha (Greek: ), also called Easter, is
the feast of theResurrection of theLord.Pascha is a transliteration of the Greek word,
which is itself a transliteration of the Hebrew
pesach, both words meaningPassover. (A
minority of English-speaking Orthodox prefer
http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/people/A0826237.htmlhttp://www.factmonster.com/spot/easter1.htmlhttp://orthodoxwiki.org/Resurrectionhttp://orthodoxwiki.org/Jesus_Christhttp://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Passover&action=edithttp://www.factmonster.com/ce6/people/A0826237.htmlhttp://www.factmonster.com/spot/easter1.htmlhttp://orthodoxwiki.org/Resurrectionhttp://orthodoxwiki.org/Jesus_Christhttp://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Passover&action=edit -
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the English word 'Pasch.')http://orthodoxwiki.org/Pascha
ABOVE: A RANDOM PICTURE FROM GOOGLE SHOWS A TYPICAL ORTHODOX
SERVICE USING LOTS OF CANDLES & INCENSE AND APPEALS TO THE
SENSES ALONG WITH PRAYER, SONGS, & OTHER FORMS OF
TRADITIONAL WORSHIP
Some Orthodox Christians discourage the use
of the word Easter, believing that the term has
roots inpagan rites of the spring equinox and
overtones of fertility.
http://orthodoxwiki.org/Pascha
Heres MORE ABOUT what they say concerning
PASCHA and COMMUNION in the ORTHODOX
CHURCH :
http://orthodoxwiki.org/Paschahttp://orthodoxwiki.org/Paganismhttp://orthodoxwiki.org/Paschahttp://orthodoxwiki.org/Paschahttp://orthodoxwiki.org/Paganismhttp://orthodoxwiki.org/Pascha -
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The Liturgy of St John Chrysostom continues
as usual. Holy communion has, again and
again, the troparion of the Resurrection. It is
sung while the faithful partake. To OrthodoxChristians, receiving communion on Easter
Sunday is very important. Many parishes take
the Paschal Sermon of St. John Chrysostom
literally and commune all Orthodox Christians
who are in attendance.
http://orthodoxwiki.org/Pascha
It SHOULD BE NOTED that the ORTHODOX
CHRISTIAN think of themselves as DISTINCT
from CHRISTIANS in general, including
PROTESTANTS & CATHOLICS.
In fact, at one of the COPTIC churches that I
visited, in BELLFLOWER of all placesalthough
VISITORS are welcome to attend the service, if
you plan to partake in HOLY COMMUNION
http://orthodoxwiki.org/Communionhttp://orthodoxwiki.org/Paschahttp://orthodoxwiki.org/Communionhttp://orthodoxwiki.org/Pascha -
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they expect you to be ORTHODOX not just
Christian.
It was at this COPTIC church in Bellflower
THAT they began the communion ceremony and I
was preparing to follow the PROCESSION up to
the front where the PRIEST gives the bread &
wine (BODY & BLOOD) but as I was about to do
so the fellow next to me said, YOU MUST TAKE
YOUR SHOES OFF and then he asked ARE
YOU ORTHODOX? and I said NO.
He said, YOU must be ORTHODOX to
participate in communion, THEN he added,
BUT ASK THE PRIEST and pointed to the
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front. By that time I was already a little
embarrassed having been OUTED so to speak
with others around overhearing our short
conversationwhile I thought I had been
BLENDING IN so well.
Anyways, I went up to the frontfollowing the
procession, being very RESPECTFUL and
REVERENT of their traditions and the PRIEST
said to me, Are you Orthodox and I said NO,
JUST CHRISTIAN and he responded, politely,
but firmly, You cannot take communion, but
TALK TO ME after the service.
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I went back to my seat and decided to leavenot
because I felt so uncomfortable but I was, and
continue to be, on a TOUR OF CHURCHES,
going from one to another around southern
California, and sometimes only staying for half a
service or less.
The WEEK AFTER EASTER in the
ORTHODOX CHURCH is referred to as
BRIGHT WEEK(SEE
http://orthodoxwiki.org/Bright_Week)
CONCERNING the ORTHODOX WORSHIP
STYLE in general---it is SOMEWHAT different
than that of the western PROTESTANT OR
http://orthodoxwiki.org/Bright_Weekhttp://orthodoxwiki.org/Bright_Week -
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CATHOLIC church in that they place a HIGH
EMPHASIS on visual beauty (icons and stain
glassed pictures are EVERYWHERE in most
COPTIC churches, maybe Armenian too), along
with the use of other SENSUAL (that which
captures the physical senses) objects, including
INCENSE, and the LITURGY IS SUNG OR
CHANTED, not just recited. IN FACT, the
PRIEST or other readers (sometimes children as
well) will SING every word.
Also, the CONGREGATION often STANDS
through MOST if not all of the WORSHIP
SERVICE (see http://www.orthodoxwiki.org/Worship )
http://www.orthodoxwiki.org/Worshiphttp://www.orthodoxwiki.org/Worship -
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It has been my PERSONAL OBSERVATION as
wellthat STANDING UP is the NORM in many
ORTHODOX or COPTIC services (much more
the norm than sitting).
Finally, the COPTIC churches that Ive visited, in
general, have been very VISUALLY
CAPTIVATINGfrom the outside. They tend to
place a high emphasis on external beauty as
opposed to, for example, a MENNONITE church
that is just the opposite in terms of visual beauty
and appeal to the senses.
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And so, TODAY IS EASTER, again, and I hope to
visit an ORTHODOX CHURCH or two, and will
tell you about my experience in weeks to come.
PRAYER: Dear GOD, thank YOU for
YOUR presence in our lives, both
eastern & western Christians.HAPPY EASTER ! AGAIN!
The LORD has RISEN, AGAIN!
VANDER KOK
Thats SIR to YOU !
ABOVE: AN ORTHODOX IMAGE OF CHRIST
AND THE RESURRECTION