h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I like Holy Saturday because everybody stops talking. (They're busy cooking hams and hiding Easter eggs around here, but at least they're quiet about it.)

This meditation on Holy Saturday is mostly offered for Cactuscafe, who will get what I'm talking about, I know.

First, an invocation hymn:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_lIZKkabj4

Second, the scripture reading:

'For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.' Psalm 16:10

'I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.' Hosea 13:14

'Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?' Ephesians 4:9

Third, an offertory hymn:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx_-Nn3bmdY

Fourth, instead of a sermon, some random quotes from theologians:

'Before Christ arose and ascended into heaven, and while yet Iying in the grave, He also descended into hell in order to deliver also us from it, who were to be held in it as prisoners ...' - Martin Luther, sermon at Torgau

'Each Sunday, millions of Christians around the world recite the Apostles' Creed, including that statement:

"I believe that Jesus … descended into hell."

Yet a few years back at one Christian college, a series of chapel messages on the Apostles' Creed had to omit this item, because none of the 12 professors of Bible and theology believed it.' - Christianity Today, 'Did Jesus Really Descend into Hell?', February 7, 2000

'His mortal flesh was lit from within, now,
and aching for home. He must return,
first, in Divine patience, and know
hunger again, and give
to humble friends the joy
of giving Him food--fish and a honeycomb. ' - Denise Levertov, 'Ikon: The Harrowing Of Hell', http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/ikon-the-harrowing-of-hell/

Finally, a dedicatory hymn:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4iQ5pHmvNM

Go in peace. Pax vobiscum.

I was given a pamphlet yesterday stating that all "good" Christians should shun Easter celebrations as it is nothing more than a trick of satanism to lure those of us who don't know the bible word for word into idolatry, something to do with Baal, Babylon and Bunnies....

Interesting historical / mythological references but still deeply confusing this religious stuff, think I'll stick to my pagan eggs and welcoming back the spring instead. Whatever your beliefs have a nice weekend!

Baal, Babylon, and bunnies...well, we've got the bunny in the yard, but Baal hasn't been around...

Happy Easter to you!

I took an free easter egg off an believer earlier today when we passed by... I didn't mention to him I was a hevan happy Easter for whichever parts and in whichever version/flavour/sect it is celibrated

Here the evening of Holy Saturday is already the beginning of the Easter meals. I can tell you I'm so stuffed with my mother's ham and cold roast that I can hardly move...

My other sister says they're doing roast lamb at her family.

clearly I've forgotton the true meaning behind Easter... - Not got any extra or special food in at all! damnit! had to make do with a risotto and salad tonight cooked on the tempory/perminantly tempory two ring elec hob I do assume its a traditional Easter thing to go to the pub and drink lots of beer and rum though? Ahh, we were listening to some gorgeous plain song earlier on the Hifi, to compensate perhaps for our otherwise ignoring the whole easter egg bunny thing

Just purchased $42.00 worth of Easter candy to surprise my wife in the morning. Actually it was forty-one ninety something, but close enough

I hope she will share

F S

she better share that much or she'll get hyperglycimia!

Ostara, Easter, Ishtar, Ashtaroth, Isis....

That classical goddess represented by the symbols of the blindfold, the scales and the two edged sword....

God påske, guten Pesach, frohe Ostern and pax vobiscum to you too

Easter is a special occasion for all IT professionals. The four-day break allows us to perform those lengthy maintenance tasks for which we don't have a long enough window during the working week - backup/restores, database rebuilds, etc.

This year we've been reconstructing our virtualisation environment from first principles, in the forlorn hope that it might actually work on Tuesday (it didn't).

Oh well, roll on Christmas.

Somehow, that seems a fitting occupation for Resurrection Sunday.

An amazing meditation on Holy Saturday to consider!! This looks deep and inspiring.

I shall read it tomorrow when my eyes are working.

Just back from Brighton. There's something about ten days in Brighton that makes my eyes kind of swivel around like a strange lizard.

Interestingly, I was recently discussing Easter thingies with my older brother, he's a bit of scholar on things Biblical.

Laters

This is an amazing Easter meditation, Mister D!

That Fall In Light piece really got me all lit up and my brain went all funny colours.

And I just fell in love with Superman.

And that poem .. and good to hear a track from Godspell, haven't thought about Godspell for a while...



Yes, I used to think a lot about the symbolism of Easter .. I always did like the image of the stone having been rolled away from the entrance to the tomb ... I saw it as a very symbolic image of something, although I never could quite define what but it helped me through many dark night of the soul ..

I think that's what it's for.

typo there .. I meant .. many a dark night of the soul ..

or many dark nights of the soul.

Can you have more than one?

I did. Still do.



I think the actual Jesus was a very interesting fellow.

I was once hassled by this person who objected to me reading books about visions and psychology and ideas beyond the so called norm. And I said s'cuse me matey but the Bible that you read is full of visions and angels and it's all about a fellow who dared challenge many things.

Hullo mister D. You think? I think so too. About the image, of the stone.

I'm going to think about it now, all over again. I used to be obsessed.

Need chocolate.