Living Room Gathering - Between Death and Resurrection: Where Did Jesus Go?

Between Death & Resurrection: Where Did Jesus Go?

Faith House Living Room, April 11, 2009

Follow the program online at home or feel free to adapt it for your local community. 

Welcome & Announcements

1st Silence – 1 Minute

What does the Bible tell us? 
Ephesians 4:4-10
Mark 15: 25, 33-39
1st Speaker –  Reflections from John Snodgrass
2nd Silence – 2 Minutes

What about Christians who follow Jesus’ way and don’t believe in the resurrection?

Reading from an Ikon Service from How (Not) To Speak of God, by Peter Rollins

It has been said that on the day Christ was crucified a group of followers packed their few belongings and set off to find a new home.  They were so distraught that they could not bear to stay in the place where Jesus had been executed.  So they left, never to return, and after travelling thousands of miles, they set up an isolated village far from civilization.  Once settled, they each took an oath to protect the memory of Jesus and live by his teaching.

Then one day, after 300 years of solitude, a small band of Christian missionaries reached the isolated settlement and were amazed to find a community of people living the sacrificial way that Christ had taught, yet who possessed no knowledge of his subsequent resurrection and ascension.  Without hesitation the missionaries called the entire community together and taught them what had occurred after the crucifixion.

That evening, there was a great celebration in the camp.  Yet, as the night progressed, one of the missionaries noticed that the leader of the community was absent.  This bothered the young man and so he set out to look for the community elder, whom he eventually found in a small hut on the fringe of the village, praying and weeping. 

‘Why are you in such sorrow?’ asked the missionary in amazement.  ‘Today is a day for great celebration!’

‘A day for great celebration and great sorrow,’ replied the elder, who was all the while crouching on the floor.  ‘For over 300 years we have followed the ways taught to us by Christ.  We followed his ways faithfully, even though it cost us deeply, and we remained resolute despite the fear that death defeated him and would one day defeat us also.’

The elder slowly got to his feet and looked the missionary compassionately in the face.

‘Each day we have forsaken our very lives for him because we judge him wholly worthy of the sacrifice, wholly worthy of our being.  But now I am concerned that my children and my children’s children may follow him not because of the implicit value he has, but because of the value that he possesses for them.’

With this the elder left the hut and made his way to the celebration, leaving the missionary to his thoughts.  

2nd Speaker – Pastor Samir Selmanovic

3rd Silence – 3 minutes

What about the early Church teachings that Jesus “descended into hell?”

All stand, as able 
All are invited to read together from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

3rd Speaker – Bowie Snodgrass

This talk about the traditions around the descent into hell included 1) passing around orthodox icons and the painting in the Church of Chora, Turkey, of the “Harrowing of Hell”, 2) the reading from Dante’s Inferno below, 3) mention of other gods who descended into the underworld, e.g. Osiris, Gilgamesh, Orpheus, Persephone, and 4) modern literary characters who followed this theme, like Lyra in Philip Pullman’s Dark Materials Trilogy.  Two people read an excerpt from an interview between Philip Pullman and Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. 

Dante’s Inferno, Canto IV, Verses 43-63   
Trans. Robert and Jean Hollander, Princeton Dante Project

When I understood, great sadness seized my heart,
for then I knew that beings of great worth
were here suspended in this Limbo.
'Tell me, master, tell me, sir,' I began,
seeking assurance in the faith
that conquers every doubt,
'did ever anyone, either by his own
or by another's merit, go forth from here
and rise to blessedness?'
And he, who understood my covert speech:
'I was new to this condition when I saw
a mighty one descend, crowned, with the sign of victory.
'Out of our midst he plucked the shade
of our first parent, of Abel his son, of Noah,
and of Moses, obedient in giving laws,
'the patriarch Abraham, and David the king,
Israel with his father and his sons,
and with Rachel, for whom he served so long,
'as well as many others, and he made them blessed.
And, I would have you know, before these
no human souls were saved.'

4th Silence – 4 minutes

What are Islamic beliefs about Jesus, peace be upon him, from the Koran? 

4th Speaker – Mujadid Shah 

5th Silence – 5 Minutes

Community Reflections and Prayers

Closing Song –“Were You There?”
Traditional Spiritual

Soloist – Rafael Candelaria

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Oh, Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

All Sing

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?