I’m Alive

I just came back last night from a week-long stay in London and Newbold College. The Vejlefjord Choir asked me to join them as pianist on their annual tour, and I gladly obliged. Ryanair provided the £25-incentive to stay a couple of days extra, mostly hanging out with friends.

Many highlights deserve mentioning: bus trip with a load of happy students; improvised worship session at Newbold Church Friday night; meeting old friends again after way too long; the very warm welcome at Stanborough Park Church; the choir performing beautifully; meeting the Danish small group (some of who read my blog ; revisiting Tate Britain; helping Sabrina and Risto move; and much more.

But apart from all that and the thrill of leaving the country again and speaking a lot of English, what I really enjoyed was being busy again. There was a lot to do with practicing and performing, and the tension of it turns me on. As it turns out, I miss being busy, even to the point of stress. I think I am closest to myself when I have a lot to do, and just a little bit less time than I actually need. Lately it’s been too much the opposite.

The Lord is Risen

I went to church with the Queen today. At this morning’s Easter service at the magnificent Aarhus Cathedral, Queen Margrethe II was present, along with the Prince Consort, and the Crown Prince Couple, Frederik and Mary. (The little Prince Christian was not there.) This is not unusual; she nearly always attends church when she’s in Aarhus, but this was actually the first time I saw either of them in person, sitting no more than 10 metres away.

The cathedral was full, as it probably would be on any Easter Sunday, Queen or not. And it was a beautiful service with a good sermon. Christian Thodberg (who also wed the Crown Prince Couple and christened Prince Christian) made it clear that nothing we may do or say has any meaning without the fact that Jesus rose from the grave. The greeting “The Lord is Risen,” still used in the Eastern Church, expresses not only faith in Jesus, but hope that the conquest of death is real for each and every individual.

I enjoy living in a Monarchy where the Queen is actually a personal Christian; this is a well-known fact. I also noted that Princess Mary bowed her head during prayers and sang along on the hymns, as did everyone. Whether this is just a formality I cannot tell and probably should not wonder too much about. But the royal family still do convey that perfect blend of calm, unpretentiousness, and dignity. I don’t see myself turning Republican anytime soon.

When the Queen joins the congregation for Eucharist she underlines that before God we are all equal. We are all dependent on grace. All have sinned, and none of us can conquer death, except through Jesus Christ. The Lord is Risen. Happy Easter.

Good Friday

Denmark has literally shut down. People everywhere are enjoying the first rays of spring and the Easter holiday – with three full bank holidays: Thursday, Friday, and Monday. I remember some years ago I was in the States for Easter, and the only difference was that shops closed a little earlier on Easter Sunday.

It’s a little ironic. Ours is one of the most extremely secular societies when it comes to beliefs and values. On the other hand, this is one of the only remaining Christian countries which still has a State Church, officially endorsed by the constitution, the government, and the queen. I have always found this somewhat of a paradox and fundamentally odd.

It works fine, though. And the Christian holidays do give ample opportunity for reflexion, if you let yourself. Good Friday is the single most quiet day in the year, and the flags on all official buildings (and several others) are flown on half mast. In town tonight there were a small number of partygoers, sure, but for a Friday night it was conspicuously calm.

Good Friday is a day for contemplating Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. This was evident at this morning’s service at the local church. A quiet, meditative mood very much highlighted the enormity of God’s indescribable love for us.

Also setting the mood for this time was tonight’s Passion concert in a city church, featuring French classical music (choir, organ, harp). Including Fauré’s Requiem and a personal favourite: Poulenc’s Quatre motets pour un temps de penitence. A good experience.

“Deus meus, ut quid me dereliquisti?” (“My God, why hast thou forsaken me?”)

Amazing love.

The Gospel of Judas

And Jesus said to Judas: “Step away from the others and I shall tell you the mysteries of the kingdom. It is possible for you to reach it, but you will grieve a great deal.”

Yesterday, the National Geographic Society unveiled a previously unknown manuscript dubbed the Gospel of Judas. It is a Coptic manuscript, representing the same Gnostic school of thought as the Gospel of Thomas and others.

A 3rd century manuscript is certainly a big discovery and scholars will undoubtedly benefit from the insights into early thinking that can be gained from studying this. At the same time, conspiracy theorists are rushing to the party, even linking Dan Brown to the case, hoping for a few minutes of fame.

Does this change anything? Hardly. As with the Gospel of Thomas, it may show us that other people believe otherwise, but that should be no surprise. The quote I included is easily recognizable as Gnosticism. (I did a uni report last year on a dedication to the Isis mysteries.)

Of course there are other texts, but the Canon is there for a reason. These are the writings deemed correct by the first Christians, and inspired by the Holy Spirit. Other sources may describe other beliefs, but to me this only strengthens the validity of Jesus as a historical (and controversial) figure. The Qur’an will depict Jesus differently, as will Josephus. As a Christian, I believe the Bible.

This does, however, lead me to another point; that the sometimes admirable desire to return to the Apostles’ faith is not that simple. For one, we don’t have real-life eye witnesses among us anymore, so our authority is in the New Testament, not in humans. Furthermore, it is obvious that Christianity has evolved and changed through the course of two millennia.

Not all changes are good, as we are taught by the fixes made by Reformation. But ignoring Church History would be pointless. Augustine was not in the same place as Paul. Calvin was not in the same place as Thomas Aquinas. Ellen White was not in the same place as John Wesley. And I live in yet another time. But I acknowledge the contributions of great people throughout history to understanding the Gospel.

God stays the same. The Bible stays the same. But people change. As it happens, this is a very Adventist thought; we used to call it the notion of ‘present truth’.