Holy Saturday First Communion Workshop

This is just about my favorite class to teach.

I started this practice about 20 years ago and only skipped the last five years because the church where I served didn't want their young people receiving the gift of Christ's Body and Blood until they were confirmed (gee could I have worded that in anymore loaded?)

Today I got to do it again after the five year break and in my dread of giving up four hours to spend with 5th graders I had forgotten how much I enjoy it and how quickly the time goes by.

It's a one day four hour preparation and then following ancient tradition, they come to the Lord's Table for the first time on Easter Sunday.

 I still use a lot of material from a really old source that I can't remember the name of the book -Augsburg Fortress, out of print from the late 80s or early 90s, back when they still thought 5th graders were smart enough to actually learn some theological concepts.  Although this year I added the new Fed & Forgiven and was happy with some of it but would never use it alone.  

I divide sessions up according the Small Catechism.  

I've made my own power points with the catechism, and material from that old book whose name I cannot remember and Brick Testament pictures of the Exodus and the Last Supper.

I make them learn the first part "What is Holy Communion?" (which I still have yet to learn the new version - maybe next year.)  To me, that is still the best, most concise defintion of Holy Communion

Holy communion is the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, given with bread and wine, instituted by Christ himself, for us to eat and drink.

I also expect them to tell me what three things make a sacrament and what are the three benefits of Holy Communion (Forgiveness of Sins, life and salvation - clap while you say it --it has a rhythm)  

We go marching outside reciting these things at the top of our voices and in Southern, German and Italian accents.

We also bake bread for Easter Sunday. 

This is the recipe I got from my first call church cookbook from Hope Lutheran Church in Madison, WI.  I like to use a rising bread to show how long yeast takes so they can understand why for the Exodus they did not have time to use leaven, but also so they understand that there is nothing particular holy about unleavened bread, bread with yeast is fine too.

Whole Wheat Communion Bread

21/2 C warm water

1 pkg active dry yeast

1/4 c. soft shortening

1 tbsp salt

1/4 cup light molasses, honey or brown sugar

2 C whole wheat

2 C white flour

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add shortening molasses and half the flour to the yeast, 1 cup at a time.  Beat with a spoon vigorously. 

Add remaining flour and when you can no longer beat with a spoon, knead with hands. (make sure every kid gets a chance to try knead it !)

Cover with towel and place in warm spot and let rise about an hour, until double.  Then beat down, divide into six loaves. 

Shape into ovals and flatten.  Let rise again about 1/2 hour. 

Mark with a deep cross by dipping knife in flour before each cut.  Crossways cut needs to be cut almost to the bottom to help break evenly at Communion table.    Bake for about 20 minutes.

Be sure to make an extra loaf so kids can eat it.  I had to make more when I came home today.

We also decorate a wine goblet with craft leading and stained glass window paint and then the whole family receives the wine out of the chalice they make and then they have a keepsake.  

Add a half hour lunch and run around outside or play hide and seek in the church and the time goes by pretty fast.  

And fifth graders are so precious, they still care and are not too cool for this stuff yet.    It was great to be able to do this again.

The Harrowing of Hell

The "Harrowing of Hell" is the ancient church teaching that when Jesus died he "descended into hell" as the Apostles and Nicene Creed teaches.  Well it says he went to Hades which could just mean he died.  He was dead.  And when the creeds were developed they were fighting some notions that he didn't really died, just looked like he died.  The Creeds say, no he died and he went where people who die go.  Wherever that is.

But there is that interesting line from I Peter 3:19

He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, ¹⁹

Biblical scholars really don't know what to make of that.  But the early church, particularly the Eastern church knew what to do with that.  Jesus stormed the gates of hell and freed Adam and Eve and all those imprisoned by sin, death and the devil.  

The Acts of Pilate, a third century apocryphal text describes the Harrowing of hell in this way:

The bronze gates were broken in pieces and the bars of iron were snapped; and all the dead who were bound were loosed from their chains, and we with them. And the King of Glory entered like a man, and all the dark places of Hades were illumined..

I'm very taken with this image.  This is what I said last year about that:

.....there is something very appealing about the ancient traditions of Jesus invading hell itself and releasing all the souls trapped there. If Hell is the place of total darkness and absence from God, Jesus' invasion of it shows there is no place that can hold God back. There is no darkness Christ's Light cannot illumine. In fact, if Hell is the absence of God, and Christ has invaded Hell, it no longer even exists! There is no longer exists a place where God is absent.

There is a beautiful homily on Jesus freeing Adam from hell on Holy Saturday by an anonymous Eastern priest from maybe third century that I posted here last year.

Holy Saturday - He Descended into Hell

Descent into Hell - Duccio

"He descended into hell"

Of course now we know that the original word "Hades" does not mean "hell" the way we understand it. It simply means the place of the dead. 

We confess that Jesus was really dead. 

 He didn't just appear dead, as some were claiming at the time the Apostles creed was formed. He was dead. Whatever happens to people when they die, happened to Jesus.

And yet there is something very appealing about the ancient traditions of Jesus invading hell itself and releasing all the souls trapped there. If Hell is the place of total darkness and absence from God, Jesus' invasion of it shows there is no place that can hold God back.

 There is no darkness Christ's Light cannot illumine. 

 In fact, if Hell is the absence of God, and Christ has invaded Hell, it no longer even exists! There is no longer exists a place where God is absent.

The following is an ancient Holy Saturday homily by an anonymous priest. I rather like it:

The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep.

The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear. He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep.

Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory.

At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all”. Christ answered him: “And with your spirit”.

He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light”. I am your God, who for your sake have become your son.

Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake.

I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell.

Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image.

Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated. For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead.

For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden. See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you.

See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.

I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

Rise, let us leave this place.
 

The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God.

The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open.

The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.