Happy Resurrection Sunday for those readers who observe it. And for those for who do not follow a liturgical calendar but celebrate Christ’s resurrection every Lord’s Day, I hope yesterday was as meaningful as always.
I am liturgical. I do find spiritual meaning in the annual rhythm of the church calendar. (If it was good enough for St. Augustine it’s good enough for me. 
) My family sometimes jokes that we are C&E (Christmas and Easter) Christians — while we are active in the church and attend worship weekly the Holy Days are a big deal for us with more activities and multiple services per day. In case you wonder where my blogging has been, I sometimes wonder what I’m doing at six worship services in the last four days when I’m not clergy.
The penultimate service was our church’s sunrise service early yesterday. We have to warn the neighbors that there will be a brass quartet outside on the back lawn. For one day a year they are very understanding. And for me there is something very deep and meaningful about worshiping the risen Christ as the sun rises on Resurrection Sunday. Some years when I could not find a sunrise service that fit my theological leanings I have simply had my personal devotions out in the desert (wilderness?) as the sun came up. And while I make it a point on Easter morning to be in worship at the sunrise, I am a morning person and I very frequently have my devotions around the time of sunrise anyway.
Another meaningful part of worship yesterday was having both the sunrise service and the regular worship service close with the hymn “The Day of Resurrection.” Outside of the metrical Psalms this is one of the oldest texts in our hymnal written by John of Damascus in the eighth century. I appreciate and find symbolism in the link across the history of the Church. What comes down to Protestant churches is usually John M. Neale’s 1860’s translation and versification
The day of resurrection,
Earth, tell it out abroad,
The Passover of gladness.
The Passover of God.
From death to life eternal,
From this world to the sky,
Our Christ hath brought us over
With hymns of victory.
It is also used within the Eastern Church and is known as the opening verses of John of Damascus’s Paschal Canon
The day of Resurrection, let us be radiant, O peoples! Pascha, the Lord’s Pascha; for Christ God has brought us over from death to life, and from earth to heaven, as we sing the triumphal song.
[Translation copyright to Archimandrite Ephrem ©]
[It is interesting to note that in Islam there is an eschatological concept of “The Day of Resurrection” similar to the Judeo-Christian concept of the “Day of the Lord” or final judgment, not a “first fruits” resurrection. St. John of Damascus also wrote a Critique of Islam. I have to wonder if his Paschal Canon, with some of this wording, may be a related apologetic work to some small degree.]
So Easter Sunday has come and gone. Is anything different today? This C&E Christian is going back to his regular routine. This coming Sunday will be just another Lord’s Day. I do sometimes wonder if my Reformed brethren that celebrate the resurrection not just once a year but every Sunday may have a better perspective when this coming Sunday rolls around. I will try to maintain that perspective myself.