Dear Friends,
Wow! What a Holy Week!
We began with Palm Sunday—waving palms and ending in silence as we left what we needed on the altar. Each day grew in power beginning with a moving Taizé service with healing prayer leading us into the Triduum, washing one another’s feet, kneeling before the cross, hearing stories by candlelight, one of our own baptized, surrounded by those candidates for confirmation and all the sponsors and candidates who had walked with her during Lent, and then ringing bells as the lights came on—“Alleluia! Christ is risen!”—and we celebrated the first Eucharist of Easter, disco ball and all.
And, then, oh my, Easter morning! The church adorned, trumpets and violins, so, so many people—all of YOU and a few hundred visitors—and ending with our new tradition of singing the “Hallelujah Chorus”! PURE joy!
As I reflect upon the week and the power of it, I marvel at the giant swath of you good people who dedicated themselves to making it happen: folks who serve as singers, acolytes, bread bakers, Sunday school leaders, organists, music directors, worship committee members, readers, catechists and sponsors, ushers, buyers of champagne, altar guild, AV team, mic procurers and sound checkers, story creators, storytellers, flower waterers, photocopier whisperers, hiders of Easter eggs, hangers of disco balls, parish clean up crew, preachers, builders of fires, MCs, foot washing crew (and foot washers and washees), faithful worshippers, violinists and trumpet players, presiders, liturgical set designers, child minders, launderers, stage crew and stage managers, light designers, party planners, fire builders, dog pool water removers (what did you think we used to baptize adults at the vigil?), dish washers, and on and on.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
It is amazing to be part of a church where so many dedicate themselves to making sure everything is stunning, over the top, solemn, joyful for our gathered community and everything worthy of the God we love and who loves us. Liturgy is truly the “work of the people.”
In a world that too often devalues the human, the sacred, the beautiful through war and violence, privileging technology and economic growth over human flourishing and the thriving of our beautiful world, we chose to spend last week in kairos, God’s time, and remembered what it is to be truly human, made in the image and likeness of God, what it is to “remember the future” that God has already made. And we get to keep celebrating for a long time: Easter season runs for 50 days, so plan for more joy, more flowers, more champagne at church, an Easter Feast, and perhaps you might want to throw a dinner or dance party in this season. For, no matter what is happening in our days and world, God give us cause to celebrate.
Faithfully, Suzanne+