Easter Monday is one of my least favorite days of the year. There's nothing wrong with the day itself, and there is some consolation to be found in being a member of a congregation where there is a service on Easter Monday so that I don't have to go cold turkey from daily worship during Holy Week to the normal once or twice a week.
But the let down is there. It's now another entire year until Easter. It's 10 1/2 months until Lent begins the march toward the Garden of Gethsemane and Golgotha and ultimately the empty tomb. And even though each Sunday is a little Easter, the focus isn't quite a sharp as it is during Holy Week.
The Easter Vigil this year was one of the most beautiful services hat I have ever seen. And the sermon was simply fantastic. When it is posted to the website I'll post a link. The mingled smell of lilies, incense, and the building itself was, as Bethany said, the smell of Easter. We were wishing we could bottle it.
SO yes, a little blue. But under the faint sorrow is the deeper joy. He is risen!
7 comments:
He is risen indeed!
I've been lurking for awhile (found you through some confessional LCMS blogs) and have enjoyed reading all about what your church offers during Holy Week (and I've been passing suggestions along to DH, who's an elder in our church).
at least you didn't have to go to class with a bunch of people who barely even remember that yesterday was Easter . . . :o/
Yeah, my worst Easter ever was the one I spent in Bloomington. Little 500 fell on Easter. :pPpPpP
We're always adding services, and now with the addition of a Redeemer-style pastor, I've been guessing that we might be in the running for as many services as you.:-)
It was wonderful. During Holy Week we went twice a day, and one of the services was always Divine Service. This week we go once a day, except that we added a funeral on Easter Monday, so that was a two service day. I'm glad we live so close to church!
I wish that I lived closer to church so that I could take advantage of more opportunities.
We miss your new pastor and his family. That's the worst thing about being in Fort Wayne: We're constantly having people that we've just grown to love move away. (But the up side of that is that we've gotten to know them in the first place!)
I know Pastor gets exhausted during Holy Week. And our ever-wise (?) district planned pastors' conference during Easter Week this year. So I was jealous jealous jealous when I saw that Mass was celebrated EVERY day at Emmaus for those two whole weeks.
We have it every day at Redeemer for those two weeks, too. Many days it is available twice.
We are truly blessed.
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