And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, He is not here; see the place where they laid Him.
Mark 16:5-6
As we mentioned last week, this year’s Lenten series invites you on a journey we are taking as a community at my parish of St. John the Baptist in Tampa, as we embark on a capital campaign to expand our church sanctuary and update our facilities. The theme of our campaign is “Arise & Build” and it is based on Nehemiah 2:18. Each week of this series we will examine one or two words from this verse. This week it is the word “Arise.”
The word “arise” occurs in many contexts, both in the Bible and in Orthodox Liturgical practice. These contexts include calling for a change in physical posture, the giving of a divine command to go and do something, a call to action such as to be healed and asking prayers for deliverance.
“Arise” can be ascribed to several Greek words. The word “Orthi” is used in Orthodox worship services. This call to arise is not only for a change in posture, it is also to have heightened attention as something important is about to happen. At the Small Entrance, the priest says “Sophia. Orthi,” which is translated as “Wisdom, Arise!” In the ancient church, the Divine Liturgy began in the narthex and the small entrance was the entrance of the people into the church. The Divine Liturgy began with general prayers and petitions, as it does now, and as the people were about to enter the sacred space of worship, they were called to attention. In contemporary times, where we are already in the church worshipping, it is only the priest who is making an entrance into the altar, but he does it with the same directive, to arise. This command is followed by a hymn “Come let us worship and bow down before Christ.” If one hadn’t been attentive to this point, the call to arise (pay attention) and immediately change posture to one of humility (bowing) should wake us up to what worship is about, an intentional encounter with the Lord, where we partake of His majesty with our humility.
The second use of “Orthi” in the Divine Liturgy is before the Gospel. The usual practice in the church is for the faithful to be seated during the reading of the Epistle. The command to “arise” not only has to do with physically standing up, but also to paying attention to the Gospel reading that is about to be offered, which offers to us the words and actions of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
The final use of “Orthi” in the Divine Liturgy is after Holy Communion. The highlight of our worship is receiving Christ in the Eucharist. Indeed this should be a highlight of our life. When one has had an amazing moment, there is the tendency to be complacent. The final use of “Orthi” proclaims, “Arise! Having partaken of the Divine, Holy, pure, immortal, heavenly life-giving and awesome Mysteries of Christ, let us worthily give thanks to the Lord.” In other words, as we prepare to enter back into the world, let us not go with a sense of complacency, but rather with renewed purpose and focus.
The words “Egerthis” and “igerthi” refer to either spiritual awakening or rising from the dead. The most joyful use of “igerthi” occurs in Mark 16:6, when the angel tells the women who have gone to anoint the Body of Jesus at the tomb that “He has risen, He is not here, see the place where they laid Him.”
“Anasta” is the imperative “rise,” as in to get up. In Luke 17:18-19, when one of the Ten Lepers returns to Jesus to thank Him, he falls down on his face and expresses great joy for the miracle Jesus has done for him. Jesus tells him “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:19)
“Anesti” is the form of this word in Greek that we are most familiar with. After Pascha, we exclaim for forty days “Christ Anesti,” which translates “Christ is Risen!” It is critical that in this case, we translate “anesti” as “is Risen”, as opposed to “rose,” or even “has risen.” The Resurrection of Christ is not only an historical event, but also a present reality. We don’t commemorate that Christ rose from the dead, but that He IS risen from the dead, a current reality that extends to eternity. Because He is risen, that is a chance for us to be resurrected also.
Arise can be both a plea TO God and a command FROM God. When used as a plea to God, it reminds us that God hears our prayers and requests. The command from God to arise is meant to awaken something in us with urgency, something that God wants us to do, even if it is something we may not understand or want to do. In every case where this word is used, there is a sense of intentionality and purpose behind it.
Remember, O Lord, in David’s favor, all the hardships he endured; how he swore to the Lord and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, “I will not enter My house or get into My bed; I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.” Lo, we heard of it in Ephrathah, we found it in the fields of Ja’ar. “Let us go to His dwelling place; let us worship at His footstool!” Arise, O Lord, and go to Thy resting place, Thou and the ark of Thy might. Let Thy priests be clothed with righteousness and let Thy saints shout for joy. For Thy servant David’s sake do not turn away the face of Thy anointed one. The Lord swore to David a sure oath from which He will not turn back; “One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne. If your sons keep My covenant and My testimonies which I shall teach them, their sons also forever shall sit upon you throne.” For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for His habitation; “This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread. Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy. There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for My anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon himself his crown will shed its luster” Psalm 132
A question to ponder today: What images, spiritual or otherwise, come to mind when you think of the word “arise?”
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