THE THREE DAYS: REPOSE, DESPAIR, RESPAIR (Part 1)

 

The Three Days are ancient in Christian observation. For centuries the rituals and liturgies have cradled believers, opening safe space to relive the emotion fraught passion of Jesus and embrace the counter-cultural audacious Gospel. Immersion in this powerful series of events situates the faithful to be fully present in the world, and amid fear break-open fulfilment of God’s promises. Through these Three Days each sermon reflects on one of three responsive approaches garnered from the Gospel to navigate and care for the world as we know it. The responsive approaches are: repose, despair, and respair. 

 

MAUNDY THURSDAY - REPOSE

 

Repose: A state of resting after exertion or strain.

 

When I was a young adult, I vividly remember encountering a poster with a drawing of the Last Supper. The figures in the sketch were gathered around low tables, facing each other either sitting or partially reclining on cushions. They were laughing and talking. There were various emotions shown on the faces around the food-filled tables. It was obvious it was the Last Supper, prominent were a chalice shaped cup and a loaf of bread by Jesus. With Jesus there were 12 other men. The drawing included a couple of women too, and a child, and a dog. I remember the scene because I was captivated by the joy on the faces of those gathered and the liveliness of the conversations. At the same time the artist captured underlying heavier feelings and the grave importance of this supper. The gathered friends belonged around the table and were relaxed in each other’s presence….and …there was a dog. The depiction on the poster captures for me the idea of repose.

 

Regardless of which Gospel we read, the Last Supper – this celebration of Passover for Jesus and friends – happens in an intimate cocooned setting that is juxtaposed to heightened anxiety and turmoil on the streets of Jerusalem. Honouring tradition Jesus and followers gather for a sacred meal and settle into repose. Not only have disciples been busy acquiring a room and making preparation, but there has been travel to Jerusalem, a dramatic entrance into the city, and Jesus has been pointedly focused on provoking God’s justice aggravating authorities in the process. Needed on this night was a moment of repose. The Passover gathering relaxed into familiar words and designated foods, recalled a great series of miracles, celebrated the emancipation from Egyptian slavery and the making of a people, and reflected on the theme of divine redemption.

 

This moment of repose happened at a critical time. The gathered community were reminded who they were, what they were about, how they were to go about living, and why all of it mattered. Here repose is a gift of belonging, encouragement, trust, and faith-building. Knowing what lies ahead for this group, for Jesus, this moment of repose is important because it fills those gathered with stamina and courage to face soon-to-be inner circle betrayal, hostile authorities, anxious crowds, and despairing events.

 

Around the table, with friends, Jesus expands the Passover celebration adding a washing of their feet, not for the foot-washing itself, but as an act that demonstrates the command to ‘love one another.’ This responsive action grows from a place of repose.

 

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin wrote: The longer I live, the more I feel that true repose consists in ‘renouncing’ one’s own self, by which I mean making up one’s mind to admit that there is no importance whatever in being ‘happy’ or ‘unhappy’ in the usual meaning of the words. Apt words for reflection on this night. I reflect on the image of the Last Supper from the poster I told you about. There were those who had their heads thrown back in laughter and those with more serious expressions. I have never thought that the disciples gathered with the forethought of being happy or unhappy by participating in the supper. When I come to church, I don’t consider first whether it will make me happy or unhappy. I will admit that in everyday life, there are times and situations, where I do pre-decide if an activity will make me happy, and sometimes I avoid that which I deem will make me unhappy. De Chardin points out that I miss the point. Jesus’ point. Provoking God’s justice. Belonging in a history of God’s redemption. Washing feet. All of this is what matters. The approach to life amid troubles and suffering, is not happiness or unhappiness, it is love one for another. It is repose – resting from strain and exertion – the exertion of my own will, the strain of ego, the striving to succeed, the effort of judging, the strain of perfection or production – and stepping away, turning around, falling into repose within community means inner change so the responsive action is none-other than labours of love.

 

Good Friday’s service begins with a reading from Isaiah, one of four Servant Poems. This one titled, The Suffering Servant. Renowned author Kathleen Norris writes that the prophet Isaiah through the Suffering Servant poem models how God works, writing that the Suffering Servant is describing anyone of God’s faithful who willingly and humbly takes on suffering as the cost of giving witness. She articulates that the Suffering Servant does their work not in arrogant assertion of power but through a patient hope.

Patient hope. We don’t get to such a responsive action without repose.

Norris talks about childbirth and chemotherapy, as examples of patient hope, a suffering or pain that bear evidence that the pain or suffering are worth the struggle; that the joy to come will be greater than the struggle.

This is the question that sits with diners at the Last Supper. Is God’s kindom, are God’s promises, are the words of the prophets, is the work of the Messiah, is bringing God’s justice, … is the struggle to have all this fulfilled worth it? Will the joy to come be greater than the struggle?

 

Tonight, at this opportune time, we have gathered in community seeking reprieve, purpose, belonging, and encouragement. We repose in familiar words and experience rituals that remind us: who we are, what we are about, how we are to go about living, and why all of it matters.

 

Tonight, we set aside our wills and egos, our judgements and expectations, our success and production—we partake in repose that we might be filled with patient hope to bear the suffering of the fulfilment of God’s promises, the struggle of bearing witness to a counter-cultural audacious Gospel, and the responsive action of having love one for another.