Monday, January 21, 2008

Weinrich's Lecture at Symposium

As a couple of pastors said at the end of Weinrich's paper (which is not published yet, but hopefully will be soon), they could've just let him talk alllll morning! Wow, it was good! My pastor commented on Thursday afternoon after the panel discussion that it seems that Weinrich always preaches even when he's "teaching."

I began noticing about 10 minutes into the lecture that he seemed to be using a lot of terms that were in the preface from the Easter Vigil. I don't think it was intentional -- just that he was talking about the incarnation and the atonement, and how the incarnation has meaning only in that it's connected to the atonement, and how the atonement for sin could only be made by an incarnate God. He talked about being delivered from bondage to sin. He talked about how we are restored to life. He talked about the new creation. He talked about the atonement working our innocence, and restoring us to joy in Christ the Light. So all through his lecture, it was like I had two transparencies in my mind, the lecture and the preface, all mixed up and entwined in a beautiful montage.

For He is the very Paschal Lamb
who offered Himself for the sin of the world,
who has cleansed us by the shedding of His precious blood.
This is the night when You brought our fathers, the children of Israel, out of bondage in Egypt and led them through the Red Sea on dry ground.
This is the night when all who believe in Christ are delivered from bondage to sin and are restored to life and immortality.
This is the night when Christ, the Life, arose from the dead. The seal of the grave is broken, and the morning of the new creation breaks forth out of night.
Oh, how wonderful and beyond all telling is Your mercy toward us, o God, that to redeem a slave You gave Your Son.
How holy is this night when all wickedness is put to flight and sin is washed away.
How holy is this night when innocence is restored to the fallen and joy is given to those downcast.
How blessed is this night when man is reconciled to God in Christ.
Holy Father, accept now the evening sacrifices of our thanksgiving and praise.
Let Christ, the true Light and Morning-star, shine in our hearts, He who gives light to all creation.

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