Did Jesus descend into hell or to the dead?

"Descent to Hell" by Duccio, painted 1308 to 1311 

"He descended into hell."

That's one possible explanation of what Jesus did between Good Friday and Easter.

For more than a millennium, Christians have uttered some version of that phrase as part of the Apostles' Creed. And for nearly just as long, theologians have wrestled with what the phrase means or whether it should be included in the creed at all.

Early Methodist hymnals omitted the phrase altogether. The 1989 United Methodist Hymnal includes the likely more accurate translation, "He descended to the dead," and mentions "descended into hell" only as a footnote.

But including any mention of descent in the creed says something about how Christians over the ages have come to understand God's saving work, say church scholars.

"It means there is no part of human existence to which Christ did not 'descend,'" said the Rev. J. Warren Smith, associate professor of historical theology at United Methodist-related Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C.

"It's what it means for Christ to take upon himself ... the punishment of sin, which is death. If Christ really dies, then that means he (journeys) all the way to the place of dead."

Read more at this link.

Just wait...

 

Devotional for Holy Saturday

Metal cross with chain

And he said to them, When ye pray, say ye, Father [Father ours], hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come to; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give to us to day our each day's bread. And forgive to us our sins, as [and] we forgive to each man that oweth to us [as and we forgive to each owing to us]. And lead us not into temptation.

—  Luke 11:2-4 (Wycliffe Bible)

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We need to use words (when we pray) so that we may remind ourselves to consider carefully what we are asking, not so that we may think we can instruct the Lord or prevail on him. 

When we say: "Hallowed be your name," we are reminding ourselves to desire that his name, which in fact is always holy, should also be considered holy among men.     … But this is a help for men, not for God. 

...And as for our saying: "Your kingdom come," it will surely come whether we will it or not. But we are stirring up our desires for the kingdom so that it can come to us and we can deserve to reign there.

 ...When we say: "Deliver us from evil," we are reminding ourselves to reflect on the fact that we do not yet enjoy the state of blessedness in which we shall suffer no evil. ...It was very appropriate that all these truths should be entrusted to us to  remember in these very words. 

Whatever be the other words we may prefer to say (words which the one praying chooses so that his disposition may become clearer to himself or which he simply adopts so that his disposition may be intensified), we say nothing that is not contained in the Lord’s Prayer, provided of course we are praying in a correct and proper way.

St. Augustine of Hippo

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Luke in 40 Days: Luke 24:28-53 

Tenebrae Service @ Mountain View UMC

This year’s Good Friday service will be a deeply meaningful time to be together to hear the Seven Last Words of Christ. We will experience lights and candles that move us from light into the darkest dark. The Sanctuary Choir and the Handbell Choir will be providing beautiful and meditative music. The three days of waiting have begun.

Online Stations of the Cross Service

First UMC - Boulder invites the community to an online Stations of the Cross service. The service will premier on their website at Noon on Good Friday. You can watch it beginning at that time, or anytime afterwards.

Devotional for Good Friday

Pewter crucifix

One of the bad characters who was hanging there began to insult him. ‘Aren’t you the Messiah?’ he said. ‘Rescue yourself – and us, too!’ But the other one told him off. ‘Don’t you fear God?’ he said. ‘You’re sharing the same fate that he is! ⁴¹ In our case it’s fair enough; we’re getting exactly what we asked for. But this fellow hasn’t done anything out of order. ^‘Jesus,’ he went on, ‘remember me when you finally become king.’ ‘I’m telling you the truth,’ replied Jesus, ‘you’ll be with me in paradise, this very day.

By the time of the sixth hour, darkness came over all the land. The sunlight vanished until the ninth hour. The veil of the Temple was ripped down the middle.    Then Jesus shouted out at the top of his voice, ‘Here’s my spirit, father! You can take care of it now!’ And with that he died.

— Luke 23:39-46 (New Testament for Everyone)

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“Good Friday is not about us trying to “get right with God.” It is about us entering the difference between God and humanity and just touching it for a moment. Touching the shimmering sadness of humanity’s insistence that we can be our own gods, that we can be pure and all-powerful.”

Nadia Bolz-Weber

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Luke in 40 Days: Luke 24:1-27

Holy Thursday @ St. Paul's UMC

Prelude: "What Wondrous Love" - Louise Cook

Entrance:   

We join a solemn journey of three days that has changed the world and our own lives. Followers of Jesus have been taking this journey since His first followers took it almost 2,000 years ago. This is the night of love.

On the night Jesus took a towel and basin and washed His disciples' feet. On this night, He told them to do the same for others to show their love for Him and for one another. This is the night of love.

On this night, followers of Jesus have invited those preparing for baptism to begin with them a solemn vigil of prayer and fasting until the day of Christ's resurrection is fulfilled. This is the night of love.

On this night, Jesus broke bread and shared wine with His followers for the last time and invited them to remember Him to encounter Him anew, whenever they did the same. This is the night of love.

On this night, followers of Jesus have welcomed those who have returned to the way of Jesus after a time of wandering and a journey of returning. This is the night of love.  

This is the night of love.

And so, on this night, we welcome the penitent — all here have wandered — and invite all preparing — all here who are still learning to join in hearing and obeying the commandment of our Master and to  feast at His table, that we may love one another as He has loved us. Come, ye sinners. Come, ye thirsty. Come, ye weary. Come to the night of love.

Hymn: “As We Gather at Your Table,” FWS #2268 (Tune: "O Thou Fount of Every Blessing”)

First Lesson: Exodus 12:1-4, 11-14

Music: “Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley" - Louise Cook

Epistle Lesson: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Sermon: “We need this” — Pastor Charles

Hymn: “Let Us Break Bread Together,” #618

Communion

Pastor: This is the night of love. And this is the table of love. At this table, Christ, who loves us, is with us. He is with us, and we are His. We belong to God. 

And so, we pray:

We are Yours, all Yours, blessed Triune God, all our lives, all our thanks, all our praise, all our fears, all our grumbling, all our hesitations, all our loves, all our joys, all our passions, we give them all to You, with bodies, and minds, and voices. Yours, all Yours! 

Yours the blessing, Yours the praise, from the unimaginable silence before the big bang, beyond the farthest reaches of time and space we may ever find, from infinity to infinity, everlasting to everlasting, You are God, boundless in love and power. What are we that you should notice us? What are we that you should love us? What are we that you should call us into covenant with You, a covenant we continually broke and you continuously sustained. Mercy! How full of mercy!

How can we but praise You, joining our voices with the song of angels and saints, seraphim and martyrs, strangers, and family in every generation: 

Jesus Christ who comes in our God';s name, You are worthy, worthy! Lamb of God for all creation slain, You are worthy, worthy! Hosanna to our King! Hosanna to our King!

You are holy, O God! You are worthy, O Christ worthy in Your birth! Worthy in Your living! Worthy in Your loving! Worthy in Your serving!

Worthy! Worthy! Worthy! You preached good news that God's kingdom has drawn near and gathered disciples, then and now, to learn and show the world what life in God's reign means:

Healing for the sick. new life for the dead, cleansing for the lepers, sight for the blinded, food for the hungry, freedom for the possessed, love poured out for all.

Worthy the night You took a towel and basin, washed Your disciple's feet, and taught them to do likewise. 

Worthy too, the same night we betrayed You, when You took the bread, blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to Your disciples. Worthy when You told them, "This is my body broken for you. Remember me." We remember.

Worthy when You took the cup, praised God and shared it, and worthy when You said, "This is my blood of the new covenant for you. Remember me." We remember.  

We remember, and we praise You with our lives and these gifts of bread and wine, proclaiming with one voice the mystery of faith: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. 

Come upon us, Holy Spirit. Come upon us, Holy Spirit.

Come upon these gifts. Come upon these gifts.

Make them be for us Christ's body, Christ's blood. Make us one body in Christ enlivened in love by His blood. One in heart, one in mind, one in you, Holy Spirit, as you move us to pray for the church and the world: That we may proclaim the gospel boldly: Hear us, Lord.

That healing may come for people who are sick, and peoples who are torn and weary: Hear us, Lord.

That many dead and left for dead may be raised, and death itself vanquished: Hear us, Lord.

That all who are unclean may receive Your cleansing grace: Hear us, Lord.

That all who are possessed, oppressed, distressed, depressed and downcast may be set free at last. Hear us, Lord.

That we may love one another, and all Your creation, as You have loved us. Hear us, Lord.

Even so, come and fill this feast, Holy Spirit, on this night, and every night until we eat it new at the marriage supper of the Lamb! All blessing, honor, glory, and power be Yours, Holy Triune God, now and forever. Amen!

The Lord’s Prayer

Receiving together

Thanksgiving after Communion:

Thank You, God, for uniting us with Jesus in this holy mystery. We are no longer our own, but Yours. So, send us, and put us to leading and serving, loving as You have loved us wherever we go. Amen.

Hymn: “Bind Us Together,” FWS #2226

Pastor: This is the night of love. Go forth in the strength of this feast, in the care of this community, and with the love and blessing of our Triune God. Amen.

Postlude: "The Gift of Love" - Louise Cook