Area Clergy Reflect

Holy Week: Time Of Renewal

By lit Woods This week marks special celebrations on ^the calendar. seasonal rededications of the human spirit. Last night, at sundown Cape May county’s Jewish population celebrated the First Seder rtf Passover, the symbolic meal shared by families who commemorate the Jews hurried exodus from Egypt led by Moses For Cape May County’s Christian families Holy Week with its traditional meditations, vigils and prayers, will climax with Easter Sunday. While there will be egg hunts and Easter parades marking the occasion, the Herald asked five Cape May County clergymen to reflect on the religious significance of this week. Included are a rabbi, a Fundamentalist. Protestant, a Catholic priest, a Baptist minister and a prominent Black clergyman Rabbi Seymour Atlas, of Beth Judah Temple, Wildwood, spoke of the similarities between Christianity and Judaism. •We all believe in the Ten (>>mmandants. of love, of rightousness. If you recall, the last Supper was a Passover meal. Christ was

a rabbi. We believe in a saviour, but we don’t know who it was. It might well be Jesus. We believe in one coming not in a second coming. f “The Passover is our freedom season. We were slaves for 210 years. This is what is happening in Egypt today; this Passover will be the first peace in 2000 years for Jewish people.” he said. Rabbi Atlas, says he likes to interpret the word "Pass-nver” as meaning families passing over one border to another via sky Hr car so that they may be together rather than the Biblical reference of the Angel of Death passing over the homes of Jews who had smeared blood on their doors. "Passover is family time." said Rabbi Atlas. "Every member of the family participates in the Passover meal, including the youngest children." Pev. George Fincke, Fundamentalist pastor of the Covenant Bible Church. North Cape May, views Easter as the highlights of the Christian gospel "Born again" people are assured eternal life through Jesus Christ. Man has made an objective search for happiness and fulfillment.

Man’s reference point is [lod. We are told to keep If is commandants. “We are all born in sin. fhe Messiah did come. A personal belief in Jesus Christ is necessary in order In hove our sins forgiven. In Romans 8.11, we are told lhat the bodies of believers ;hall be raised from the iead and made like His glorious body." quoted Rev. Fincke. According to Rev. Fincke. the two big events ih the Christian calendar arc Christmas and Easter, which are often clouded with the Easter bunny and clothes. But. Rev. Fincke likes to remind his worshippers to celebrate the Resurrection and to believe that "we have a glorious

future."

Mnnsg. Vincent J. Giammarino. pastor of St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church. Stone Harbor, said. "Easter means the resurrection of Christ. Son of God. who was foretold by the prophets in the Old TestamenV.- The requirement of Lent is repentance which is sometimes misunderstood. What it really means is to change your ways. Unless we change our ways, we are led to error, confusion ~ and unhappiness. "Christ was not a supernatural killjoy. Lent was not intended to make life miserable, a heavenly killjoy. Christ is telling us that unless we change our ways we have to accept the consequences. We become self-centered. unhappy, undeveloped human

beings

"Would the world be better off without the Easter? Because of Easter we have been healed and we should experience peace which is beyond comparison. The world cannot give us peace. Chrisf is the Prince of

Peace.’

Rev. G. Kenneth Carpenter. pastor of First Baptist Church. Wildwood, said. "Personnally. Easter is not a restricted time for me What Easter represents is not important to me Easter takes place in springtime, at the end of winter It is Resurrection, the defeat of death. Easter is a reminder that within the human experience there is hope over what might destroy the in-

dividual. Looking at Easter from Christ’s faith, we see an example of the renewal of life. It has not always been a joyous time. There haye been limes during Passion Week when great injustices were shown against the Jewish Community which led to terrible anti-semitism times when love and compassion were altered in the hands of man. "Easter is a time when we have the opportunity to feel the enormity of God's love and the promise of life that is so visible around us. But most importantly is the promise of renewal within ourselves that allows us to defeat that which would otherwise destroy us. Part of the Christian experience is to identify with the difficulties of others. Jesus Christ is reality, of making us feel responsible for others and the good of others. Easter is not a day or a season; it is a way of

life."

To Rev Robt. O. Davis, pastor of the prominently Black Macedonia Baptist Church. Cape May. "Easter means Christ is alive, the reality of what He means to us. More people are in church at Easter. People are aware of renewal, lhat Christ is alive, in our own personal

lives.

“Easter is a time of hope. Most times of the year we lake Christ for granted At Easter we have new delermination and hope for things as they should be. Remember hpw Christ wept as he entered Jerusalem, when he looked

at the people? He may still he weeping We don't have faith and trust as he taught. If we as Christians pracliced this, what a difference it would mean in the climate of the country and the world. If we loved people as people, not by I heir ethical background or Ihwocial statutaifc would love as Christ did. He did not judge man by the color of his skin, but by what he is and what he could become. Jesus gave his life because he loved everybody. If Chrislians could live this, what a tremendous change there

would be throughout the world." Rev. Davis mentioned a traditional negro spiritual. "1 Want To Be More and More Like Jesus" which is sung at his church. "You may not sing like angels You may not preach like Pa ill But you can tell about the love of Jesu . And how he died for us * ,ll "l would like to hope all people might live the gospel we sing and talk about in church." Rev. Davis said.