Literalization to the 10th Degree

I fully appreciate the fact that opinions are subject to the individual. As it is, I myself hold diverse opinions that more than assuredly contradict mass perception. However, when opinion, specifically, the opinion of another member of the body of Christ, minimize and discredit the opinions having more specifically to do with Christian practice, in ways in which the underlying tone is to chasten the other member of the body, then I become rather defensive.

I read your article entitled, "The True Meaning of Easter" in search of additional material as to the origin of the ancient traditional pagan holiday which was a festival celebrating the dawn goddess, Estre. In your article you included supplementary information about the origins and/or the non-biblical authorities for Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Lent. I found this information insightful in every sense of the facts that were presented before me. Albeit, the dogmatic underlying insinuations I found slightly offensive. Well…offensive enough to write this letter. (-:

I was amused by your careful wording to say "there is absolutely no Biblical authority for such days" instead of using the phrase, "Biblical basis", because if you had used the phrase "Biblical basis", then you'd be skating on err.

First, I do agree with your statement that said, "Any grade school child can see that the Lord could not have died and been buried late Friday, spent three days and three nights in the tomb (Matt. 12:40) and risen again Sunday morning!" Then you stated that, "Truthfully, for the Christian, every Sunday should be resurrection Sunday." Every Sunday or time that we spend gathered in the assembly we are representing and celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord. However the assembly is also a place for teaching and instruction and exhortation to build up the strong Christian to go out into the world to spread the gospel of Christ through out lives and through our works as well as to grow spiritually and get closer to the Lord. Every Sunday or time spent gathering in the assembly is not and should not specifically be spent for the sole purpose of teaching on the actual event of the resurrection. If so then Christ would not have spent 40 days after the resurrection speaking to them about the kingdom according to Acts 1. So, in light of the added teaching and counseling etc., a day and/or a weekend set aside out of our yearly calendar is only appropriate for the proper reminder to the Body of Christ as to why we are who we are and why we live the way we live. Yes it was three days and three nights that the Son of Man spent in the heart of the earth. However, the celebration of a thing may not necessarily be the actuality of a thing. Even though it may seem as if is may demean some of the literal aspects of Christ's death and resurrection, Christ's rationale was for us to do these things specifically "in remembrance" or Him. He did not say "Do this in remembrance of me on this specific day, in this specific time". If so, then the Christian would have need to celebrate the Passover (which is also important), as well as to take Communion, which literally is the Lord's Supper, on that specific day each year.

Which brings me to another point; I have minor qualms when Christians become over-literal as a means to take their superiority to new realms and downgrade the laypersons who "don't know any better". Because there are so many other literal aspects of the Christian faith that we can dissect. For example, originally the communion table was a full meal shared between those in the assembly. Which is why it was called "The Lord's Supper". There were times that Paul had to admonish some because of their desire to go to take the Lord's Supper specifically for the purposes of getting a meal and getting drunk. But then again in light of your particular element that you refuse women clergy in your church. Or how about women speaking at all? Or women when they prophesy to wear head coverings? Well which one is it: Women silent or women prophesy? You see the scriptures aren't contradictory, yet it's the false exegesis and hermeneutics of the body making the word of God of no effect.

So these people, whether ignorant of the true meaning of Easter or not, will be judged by God and His word through the thoughts and attitudes of the heart according to Hebrews 4:12, being justified by righteousness by faith and not work.
Philippians 4:8,9
"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things."
These things which I account to be true and noble and pure and lovely and of good report are the elements that celebrate the risen Christ, through whatever form they may come. These things are praiseworthy, don't you agree?

"Do this in remembrance of Me…"
-Lent is period of fasting and repentance traditionally observed by Catholics and some Protestant denominations in preparation for Easter.
-Ash Wednesday is the name given to the first day of the season of Lent, in which the Pastor applies ashes to the foreheads of Christians to signify an inner repentance.
-Palm Sunday is the day we remember Jesus' "triumphal entry" into Jerusalem, exactly one week before His resurrection (Matthew 21:1-11).
In Esther 4:3, most of these elements were included. "In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes." Although there may not have been specific days set aside, these were traditional aspects of the Jewish faith which held great representation and symbolic meaning. Under the New Covenant, people of the Christian faith have set aside practices that aren’t necessarily literal with the exact biblical names and days and times. Yet, these practices do, in fact, have biblical basis to them.
Colossians 2: 16,17
"Therefore let no one sit in judgment on you in matters of food and drink, or with regard to a feast day or a New Moon or a Sabbath. Such [things] are only the shadow of things that are to come, and they have only a symbolic value. But the reality (the substance, the solid fact of what is foreshadowed, the body of it) belongs to Christ."
Lastly, all of these things are indeed, symbolic in nature. It's the substance that lies behind them, which is to many believers, the power of the risen Christ. I hold fast to that.

________________________

p.s.- this guy's a total Nazi, by the way