February 26, 2015

During Lent the church puts away saying or singing “Alleluia”. O. P. Kretzmann writes, “From time immemorial the Alleluia has been omitted from the services of the Church during the season dedicated to the remembrance of the Passion of our Lord. The last Alleluia dies away in chapel and cathedral, and while the echo still lingers among the rafters, the violet paraments of sorrow are placed upon the altar. It will be Easter morning before the Alleluia is heard again. It is another profound difference between the Church and the world. The world never willingly abandons joy. Worldly people hang on to happiness with all the gusto they have – until, inevitably, it is taken away from them. To give up joy by the strength of (Jesus) who gave up heaven is a part of the way by which joy and heaven will return.” O. P. Kretzmann (1901 – 1975) “For All The Saints”, volume III.

We often do things in the church that make people wonder “why?”, like putting away “Alleluias” until Easter. During the season of Lent, we are trying to strip away things that remind us of joy. In years past, I have taken the water out of the baptismal font and replaced the water with rocks. We should remove from the Nave anything shiny – like communion plates, offering plates, processional crosses and the like. If you notice in your sacristy there might be wooden offering plates. These would replace the shiny offering plates during the season of Lent. We do the same with saying “Alleluia”.

Alleluia is a shout of joy literally translated “shout of praise”. An image that comes to us from the book of Revelation is the gathering of a great multitude of people at the throne of G*d shouting “Alleluia” (Rev. 19:3). On Easter Sunday we will share the three-fold shout “Alleluia, He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia”. Alleluia becomes our shout during Easter – but not during Lent – so that it means that much more on Easter Sunday.

Many carry this tradition of “giving up” all throughout the season of Lent. Not only do we deny ourselves things in our worship and our worship space, but many deny themselves for the six weeks of Lent. They deny themselves things like chocolate, coffee, snacks, desserts, and the like. It helps them appreciate what Christ was denied in going to the cross – which he did so we would not be denied eternal life. This Lent, while you give up things that temporarily make you long for them, remember, at the end of Lent comes joy – we shout Alleluia once again – and are grateful for the joy that comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Pastor Dave