Easter day: Foreplay to eternity

By James Koenig

This is a day of Alleluias!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! The Lord is risen. He is risen indeed!
This is a day of foreplay—the soul aroused to life
(The Springtime of our souls? Do not tease my spirit Lord—
Arouse my flesh when death has brought me down.)
Jesus lover of my soul—grim death shall not enthrall
I’ll dance a resurrection dance and hear a trumpet call!
We celebrate today, Lord, your victory leads the way
Your glorious resurrection—this glorious Easter Day!
“Spring is beginning in our front yard—
With jonquils peeking out of the ground.”
Through a glass darklies—
Resurrection reflected
And it’s good to know
The dead aren’t
Sleeping in cold clay,
But warm Earth,
Aroused by the Almighty
On the day of days
To bring forth Life.
Easter day—foreplay to eternity.
Christ is risen—the Lord is risen indeed!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Alleluia is attitude—
Laced with gratitude
Reaching out to life
And knowing it is there
Yet in my flesh, shall I see God
My spirit says “Applaud!”
The cross says we’re allowed
We don’t need Turin’s shroud
The cataracts of mortality
Are rolled away like the
Stone that sealed the tomb
And on this day we see clearly
In joy and in humility
The risen Christ!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

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James Koenig is a classical musician, a singer, poet, singing teacher, writer, and arts advocate who is liturgically inspired and involved. “Faith like love, requires a response....” He and his partner of more than 35 years David Larson live in Los Angeles, CA. “It seems God blessed our relationship long before the church even thought about it.” olympicrange@msn.com

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[Note: A churchgoer accused James Koenig, author of this Easter prayer, of having a homosexual agenda when this was published in their church bulletin on Easter 2007 -- because he used the word “foreplay.” I expect that friends of the Jesus in Love Blog will appreciate the beautiful way that he reconciles sexuality and spirituality. This post is part of an occasional series on Eros and Christ. Click here for the whole series.]