Easter

[adafrog]

I've been thinking about writing this for the last four days, but there are all the things to do.

So, until about 2010 I thought Easter was one day.  A Sunday where everyone wears new clothes, the kids get sick on candy, and oh yeah, Jesus is alive.  That's how I grew up in the churches I went to.  I knew about Carnivale and Mardi Gras, and had

Comments

[clevortrevor]

This is lovely. Beautiful church, too. I've often thought I might fit best in some sort of Episcopal/Anglican church. We went to a Presbyterian church for most of my childhood, and they're a bit middle-of-the-road on Advent and Lenten seasonal formalities, but I used to go to Orthodox Easter service with my Greek friend's family, and always enjoyed "high church."

[adafrog]

Thanks.
We only use incense twice a year, thankfully. It's cool, but makes it a little harder to sing. But yes, the liturgy and rituals are very comforting.

[aggiebell90]

As a fellow church musician who just made it through Holy Week, I salute you! :D We don't do the Prayer Vigil (sort of... we have one, but it's not as long as what y'all do) and we don't have an Easter Vigil on Saturday, but a lot of what we do sounds very similar.

We typically strip the altar on Good Friday too. Usually it's done by staff coming from their seats in the congregation to do that, but this time the Choir took everything out as we left the chancel area, in silence and one piece at a time, and it was really powerful.

Glad you got to go back to choir! When we finally started meeting together and I was able to sing with the choir again that I just burst into tears. I missed singing SO much - it was definitely one of the hardest things about the pandemic for me.

[adafrog]

We made it! *hugs*

Isn't it powerful when it' one at a time?

Yes! Being together is so comforting.

[curiouswombat]

That sounds like a wonderfully powerful way to celebrate Easter.

Our church is from the Reformed tradition and so our Easter is simpler; we commemorate Maundy Thursday with a traditional Tenebrae service which is quiet and solemn, and Good Friday with the continuing Bible readings accompanied by solemn music, then with a joyful communion service on Easter Day. But without the vigils and the stripping of the altar etc. which must leave a strong impression. (Our communion table is kept clear throughout all our services, all year through, apart from when we have a communion service, when it is still simply bare wood, but with the bread and wine on it to be blessed.)

[adafrog]

It is very powerful.

Yours sounds lovely too, though.
I don't know what the altar looks like when there's no communion since I haven't gone to any prayer services. I know the goblets and things wouldn't be there, but not sure about the cloths.

[wantedonvoyage]

I agree with you on all of this. I love the Maundy and the Vigil and we manage to put a different spin on these services every year.

[adafrog]

Neat.

[wiseheart]

Easter services can really lift one's spirit, can't they? That's the only thing I really miss since I've secularized my relationship to my Creator.
I'm so glad that you've found the community that helped you to discover the beauty of those services.

[adafrog]

{{{hugs}}}

Thanks.