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Friday, March 29, 2013

Holy Saturday

O Christ, to keep the Sabbath day
Your body in the tomb is laid.
One Sabbath day remains for rest:
Great Sabbath day, the last, the best!

Your work is finished, as You said;
Now to Your rest, Your body dead.
The perfect rest, none more complete;
Your heart has even stopped its beat!

God rested once. God rests again.
You are that God! Amen, amen!
Your day of rest will soon be past;
Then up from death, O First and Last!

In light of Easter, shadows flee;
O Christ alone, our Sabbath be!
Rest for our souls, not for a day;
O Christ, You take our sins away!

O Christ, You are the Father’s Son,
The Son with Father, Spirit, one.
To You, O holy Trinity,
All praise for all eternity!

Text: Matthew Richardt; Tune: Bonnie Rex

Holy Saturday marks the time when Jesus is resting in the tomb. Beginning with His burial on Friday at sunset and ending on Saturday at sunset. Since we do not have a service scheduled for this occasion, members and friends are encouraged to sing or read aloud the above hymn during this time.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Marriage: What It Is, Why It Matters, and the Consequences of Redefining It

Abstract

Marriage is based on the truth that men and women are complementary, the biological fact that reproduction depends on a man and a woman, and the reality that children need a mother and a father. Redefining marriage does not simply expand the existing understanding of marriage; it rejects these truths. Marriage is society’s least restrictive means of ensuring the well-being of children. By encouraging the norms of marriage—monogamy, sexual exclusivity, and permanence—the state strengthens civil society and reduces its own role. The future of this country depends on the future of marriage. The future of marriage depends on citizens understanding what it is and why it matters and demanding that government policies support, not undermine, true marriage.

Full Article, by Ryan T. Anderson