Holy Resurrection Church

Believing in hard work, holiness and helping others—the Orthodox way

[MARCH 31, 2000]  Physically, it takes only a few seconds and a few steps to move from the sidewalk at 207 Pekin St. in Lincoln into the sanctuary of Holy Resurrection Church. But on another level, those few steps take you out of this world into an encounter with spiritual images and values that span the centuries. According to the worshippers at Holy Resurrection, to enter this place is to enter into the presence of the Divine.

There is a conscious effort to involve all the senses in worship—there is the pungent aroma of air fragrant with incense; shimmering crosses and icons (pictures of the saints and of Christ); and sounds of music, of the chanted liturgy, and of the tiny bells on the incensor. There is the physical movement of worshippers crossing themselves and reverently bowing before the Scriptures and altar and a procession of the Gospels around the sanctuary with venerating the cross by gently kissing it to complete the worship service. All of these experiences transport the worshipper away from the profane to the profound.

The worship and community of Holy Resurrection Church are rooted in historic Orthodox traditions. According to Bishop Bill Blythe, one of the founding leaders of the congregation, Holy Resurrection seeks to live out what has been believed and practiced "everywhere, always and by all" Christians. The spiritual purpose of Holy Resurrection is very clear. When asked about the role of the church Lisa Woods stated firmly and succinctly, "The church is for worship." She noted that entire families worship together on Sunday mornings and at vesper services weekday afternoons at 5:30 p.m. There are no Sunday school classes or junior worship services for young people. Several members noted that in some churches these classes and activities often move far afield from the true worship of God.

 


[Holy Resurrection Church located at 207 Pekin Street in Lincoln]

 

Indeed, it was striking to observe during services I attended on March 26 that the entire worship time was directed toward God and Christ. The Divine Liturgy, which provides the framework for the service, is a classic synthesis of prayer and praise interwoven with credal statements reaffirming orthodox doctrines. Special praise and honor are offered to the Virgin Mary and to the saints. Father Keith Wilkerson, assisted by Father Dave Klug, chanted the liturgy with responses by the congregation. It was clear that the heart of the worship service was the celebration the Eucharist.

According to longtime member Bob Woods, unlike many churches, the sermon or homily is not the main focus of worship, it is the Eucharist. Everything that is done and said points to the Eucharist, which according to the liturgy, is an active reminder of what God has done through the sacrifice of Christ and His resurrection. Holy Resurrection Church observes member's Eucharist for those who are in both spiritual and doctrinal agreement with the congregation. In both worship and lifestyle, members of Holy Resurrection seek to emulate and learn from such early church Fathers as John Chrysostom and Saint Athanasius.

Bob Wood explained the heroic saints of the faith are worthy of honor and reflection because "they have run the good race," and "I know they have fought the good fight, " for the Gospel. Members take very literally the idea of Hebrews 12:1f. which states that Christians are surrounded and supported by a "great cloud of witnesses," by the heroic men and women who in ages past have lived their faith, and in many cases, died for it. Member Darla Franklin said she believes the saints are "alive but not visible" and that they "care for the believers and will pray for them."

 

 

One of the most distinctive practices of Holy Resurrection Church is the veneration of the Scriptures, of icons and of the cross. Bishop Blythe and others carefully noted that these physical objects are not worshipped—they are venerated or honored within one’s earthly experience. Only the Holy Trinity of God, His Son Jesus, and His Holy Spirit are given adoration and worship. Regarding the veneration of icons, Franklin explained that the pictures of the saints or the Virgin Mary or Christ are not worshipped any more than a parent would worship the picture of her child. "Is that picture a real person? No!" she said. "Does that picture remind you of one you love? Yes!" she stated. "Might you gently kiss the picture that reminds you of one you love? Yes!" This, she affirmed, is the response of Orthodox Christians to these physical reminders of faith.

The Holy Resurrection congregation originated as a prayer group begun in 1975, according to Bishop Blythe and Father Wilkerson, one of the original members and one of the four priests in the church. Other priests include Father Gil Gandenberger, Father Klug, and Father Todd Brown. The present church is the outgrowth of that original prayer group, which became a Bible study, then a fellowship and then organized as a congregation. Most of the original members and present leadership were students at Lincoln Christian College and had personal and spiritual roots in the Restoration Movement.

According to Bishop Blythe, the church is a very "organic," growing body. Holy Resurrection has evolved and grown as the church has undertaken its "spiritual trek." The signpost marking the way for their spiritual pilgrimage is taken from I Thessalonians 4:11-12a, which says, "This should be your ambition: to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we commanded you before. As a result people who are not Christians will respect the way you live."

 


[Holy Resurrection Church leaders, Father Wilkerson, Bishop Blythe, Father Brown and Father Klug]

 

Holy Resurrection does not use loud, flashy programs or materials to share the Gospel or to tell about their faith said Bishop Blythe. Instead, they seek to win others to Christ through "quiet lives" of holiness, hard work and helping others. Several members noted the extraordinary care and concern shown by their church family when someone was in need. As Franklin put it, these are people committed "to the Lord, to the church, and to each other."

Many Christians, not familiar with the Orthodox faith tradition, may find it foreign or somewhat dated but there has been substantial, growing interest in Orthodoxy by mainstream Evangelicals. Some notable evangelicals, including Francis Schaeffer's son Franky, have come to embrace Orthodoxy. According to Harold O.J. Brown, professor of theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, "The Orthodox have a tremendous sense of the continuity of the people of God," and "they have a deep respect for Scripture." Several other notable evangelical scholars note the attraction of the restorative reverence and mystery of Orthodoxy to Protestants tired of the rootless fad and fashion of much modern teaching and worship. To read more about this rediscovery of classic Christianity, check several Web articles at http://www.christianityonline.com/
christianhistory/54H/54H044.html
.

 

[John Welter]

 

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