Holy Week High and Sigh

What a week!

Thank you, Lord, for your presence poured out among us...for each one playing his part...for renewal of faith and purpose...that we saw You glorified in our midst.

It was quite a week.  (That was the sigh.)

One of the highs was seeing the way we need everyone in our congregation.  The spiritual gifts that were poured out were all so different and all so needed!  It was such a great example of the Corinthians passage in action.  Thank heavens we are not all noses...or hands...or elbows!  For example, two women took care of providing snacks and meals for musicians, tech crew, coordinators and others who were at the church all day for several days, plus assorted children.  One cooked, baked and grocery-shopped, the other opened her home, served (lots of kids) and cleaned up afterward--and each woman thought the other one had the harder job.

We had servant types running errands and pitching in wherever. We had administrative types with clipboards, checklists and oh-so-helpful reminders.  We had musicians who were also arranging flowers, rigging up scrims and lighting, running sound, and creating visual effects with light.  Even the kids were needed, serving as acolytes, readers, dancers and singers.  The sound and light crew relied heavily on two boys--including B16--who volunteered their time for three days straight.

It was truly a whole-church effort, and what better thing to get the whole church involved in than a celebration of Christ's Passion and resurrection!  One of the things I love about our Anglican tradition is how Easter is absolutely the pinnacle of the church year, way more exciting and a much bigger deal than Christmas.  I'm so glad my kids are growing up with this sense.

And without a doubt, Easter Vigil is the best, the favorite service of the whole year!

On the way into the chapel, everyone passes the Holy Fire, from which our Paschal Candle is lit. (Which happens after last year's candle is melted in the fire, which is what they are doing in the picture above.  I never knew this before!)

The service begins in darkness, with the sound of loud knocking on the wooden doors.  The procession enters with incense, then the candle is lit and processed to the front while Father Rooster sings an ancient hymn, the Exsultet.

From that one light, many lights are lit.

The little boy lit up in front (center right) is B7. Go ahead and click to enlarge.

Then we settle in for a recounting of salvation history through nine Scripture readings, beginning with Creation.

Chicklet9 read Day 3, the green banner shown, which B13 raised.

We used the seven banners that I made last year for the seven days. Seven children hid behind the rood screen and raised them as seven other children read the description of God's work on each day.

For the Flood, I recounted the tale from Genesis, while our percussionist created a "soundscape" to auditorily illustrate the text.  I got to help, adding a rain stick at appropriate times.

The Abraham and Isaac reading, shadow-acted by a father and son, was one of the most powerful recountings.

The Red Sea text was read by three women, accompanied by three men/young men on percussion.  B16 enjoyed learning this new skill!  With expressive readers and three drummers drumming the chaos of the Egyptian chase, this was the noisiest and most exciting reading.

B13 is the dark-haired acolyte in front.

The pace slowed down with the peaceful "God's Presence in a Renewed Israel."

Salvation Offered Freely to All was a song, an original composition by the worship minister at our old church, which puts the Isaiah text to music.  The memorable refrain, "Come to the waters, come" was sung in 4-part harmony by Papa Rooster, his brother and two other men.

Two young ballerinas danced the parts of God (in white) and Israel (in lavender) to "Lark Ascending" played by our own professional violinist.  The red scarf symbolized the heart of flesh; the white scarf, a new spirit.  The dancers' mothers came up with the touching choreography.  It was a favorite last year and again this year.

For the Dry Bones reading, one of our men assembled his own version of the text by pulling from various editions and creating a reading that was in his own voice and style, as if the prophet Ezekiel's weird experience had just happened to him.

For the final Gathering reading, four readers (including me and B13, both on the right) began at the four corners of the sanctuary and gathered in the center aisle, before processing to the front to finish the reading. I had not realized until I saw this picture that we were all nearly the same height! What unplanned symmetry.

Next was the renewal of baptismal vows.  Usually when we have baptisms, the clergy fling the leftover holy water into the congregation, and thought there were no baptisms this year, they went ahead and doused the crowd...

...and each other!

You have to rermember that these two were once college roommates!

 After a ten-minute Resurrection homily, it's time for the Easter Acclamation:  "The Lord is risen.  He is risen indeed.  ALLELUIA!"  On that word, the lights come up, the flowers come out to surround the altar, and the Holy Noise ensues.

That would be the ringing of bells, the shouting of Alleluia!, drumming, and general woot-woot-ing.

Oh, and four Alleluia banners drop, but the one in the picture above was the one that had difficulties (i.e. the chain stitch didn't unravel properly and when it was jerked on, the top pole turned sideways). It was the first time in 3 years that they haven't all come down beautifully.  This year will be remembered for technical glitches of all sorts, but it didn't matter--it was still a glorious service!

We celebrated the first Eucharist of Easter...

..with songs of celebration...

...and dancing in the aisles!

That's it for the photos--taken by Papa Rooster's friend Mike H., from another congregation who offered his gifts to our church for this night.

But the celebration continues in our hearts and in our grateful thanksgiving for all Christ has done for our salvation and in our midst!

Palm Sunday Processional

Photos by Professor Paint.  (Thanks, Nathan!)

Preparation in the Gymnasium

(note the fabulous murals)

Processing down the Third Avenue sidewalk...

Across the spring-beautiful lawn...

And into the chapel.

Hosanna in the highest!

Glory to the King of Kings!

The Passion Reading changes the tone.

And our journey into Holy Week has begun!

Holy Week Preview

It’s a busy and exciting time!  I’m wearing a lot of hats this week….

Palm Sunday:

9 a.m.  Passion reading rehearsal and sound check

10 a.m. Palm Sunday service—participate in Passion Reading

After church—set up banners for Creation reading rehearsal, make sure two Easter Vigil rehearsals are happening

1:30-3:30  Direct three rehearsals for Easter Vigil, all involving kids

Memorize my part for Gathering reading, remind B16 to learn his!

Make turkey enchiladas, salad and cornbread for dinner

Decide with C9 outfits for 4 services

Monday:

Get BBQ turkey simmering and defrost buns

Lay out B7’s outfits

Keep memorizing

Geometry with B16

Remind B13 to memorize Romeo script and Gathering reading part

Remind B16 to learn songs for Vigil

4:30  BBQ turkey sandwiches

5:15 B16 take B13 to soccer

6-8:30  Direct two rehearsals for Easter Vigil

Tuesday:

Lay out my clothes for 5 services

Geometry with B16

Get out Easter decorations and egg dying stuff

4:00-6:15  Direct/participate in two rehearsals for Easter Vigil

7-9 Teach One Act class

Wednesday:

Get ham out of freezer

Hard-boil eggs

Make salad dressing

Dye eggs with kids

Pre-assemble Easter baskets

Make sure B13 has clothes for services

Pick up BC19 at college, or PR stop on way home from airport?

Maundy Thursday:

Morning:  B16, B21 set up sound and lights

Make sweet potato casserole, maybe pumpkin bread

Take B13 to soccer, pick up and take early to acolyte

7:00 Maundy Thursday service--strip altar

Good Friday:

10 a.m.--set up banners, take B16, B21 to help with sound and lights, C9 and B13 to be in rehearsals, B7 along for the ride

11:00--run 3 tech rehearsals for Easter Vigil

2:00—attend Stations of the Cross service

4:00—attend worship team rehearsal

7:00—Good Friday service--sing

Holy Saturday:

8 to 10 a.m.—run six tech rehearsals (participate in two)

Assemble Easter baskets and hide

5:00 arrive for Easter Vigil and make sure banners, chuppah, candles are placed

6:00 Easter Vigil—participate in two readings, put the rest in God's hands, and rejoice!

Easter Sunday:

Put ham in

Take C9 early to acolyte

10:00 Easter Service—relax and rejoice!

Take out ham, put in sweet potatoes and pie

Enjoy Easter dinner with family

Take nap

***

Want to see what all the rehearsals are about?  Here's an example of the way we dramatize Scripture at the Easter Vigil.  We're on a smaller scale, but this is what our parent church, Church of the Resurrection, did last year for the Creation reading.

Creation from Church of the Resurrection on Vimeo.

Lent with Kids

My friend Anne Kennedy blogged today about NOT observing Lent with small children, and anyone who is very involved with Holy Week preparations will enjoy reading why!

But underneath the somber austerity is a grinding mill of extra work. Lent into Holy Week is the busiest most intense time of the church year, more than Christmas by far, and the Extra Work at church.....I don't even know how to describe it. Well, let me try anyway.

At Light of Christ, we have no full-time staff, but we've tried to get more and more organized each year with how we do Holy Week. We have a coordinator for each Holy Week service--Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday (including an afternoon Stations of the Cross service), Easter Vigil and Easter Day.  The coordinator has a checklist--which we are always tweaking--of all the extras needed for each of those services. For example, bins and towels for footwashing, someone to tend the Holy Fire outside the Vigil, next year let's make a diagram of how we set up the Stations if it flows well this time, we need to indicate such-and-such in the bulletin next year.

My job has been to oversee readers and readings for the week.  Mostly that means planning and rehearsing something for the Passion reading on Palm Sunday--traditionally a Reader's Theater type of reading--and getting creative with the nine readings included in Easter Vigil, asking people to participate, creating a rehearsal schedule and possibly banners and other props, then rehearsing with all those folks a couple times, each, times nine.

It really does take over any spare time one might have for reflection during Lent!

Like Anne, I appreciate the austerity of Lent, and the one tradition we have as a family is to not serve desserts during Lent. To me, this doesn't mean my children cannot eat the candy their friend shares with them or we don't eat dessert if it is served at someone else's house--it just means we won't be serving it at home.  And it's great for them learn that dessert is optional, rather than an essential part of one's diet!  Likewise, during Lent I often try to not buy lots of extra groceries, but to try and use up stuff from the bottom of the freezer or back of the pantry shelves.  It's sort of a simplicity/austerity mindset I try to adopt.

With the kids, in the past we have had some special devotional times leading up to Lent, talked about fasting, and encouraged them to pick one thing to fast from during Lent (besides dessert).  One year, they all gave up sugar cereal, and on Easter morning, they all got a box of the sugariest stuff I could buy!  (I never bought sugar cereal when there were just three of them; I made oatmeal with peanut butter and brown rice syrup most mornings.  Then when I did start buying cold cereal for them, they had to mix sugar cereal with plain cereal.  Now, alas, they all eat straight sugar cereal, but only a few approved kinds that have a better sugar/protein balance than most.  But at least they can eat breakfast without me! The older ones make eggs for themselves too, and sometimes even oatmeal with peanut butter and honey. )

Where was I?  Oh, yes, Lenten devotions.  This year, with the three youngest in school, family devotions just haven't been happening. So we haven't talked much about Lent at all this year, but like Anne, I refuse to feel guilty.  Unlike Anne, we have big kids who are old enough to participate with us in the Holy Week services as acolytes, readers, musicians, sound technicians and go-fers at rehearsals.  (Actually, only our youngest and our daughter in college--who's participated plenty in the past--are not involved in Holy Week this year.)

The only thing I occasionally feel slightly guilty about is that we spend so much time in church during Holy Week--and getting ready for Holy Week before that--that it's hard to find time at home to dye Easter eggs or make Resurrection cookies or plan an Easter egg hunt.  At least I usually manage to fill an Easter basket for each of them and hide it somewhere in the house, and they get to search for those on Easter morning. I usually remember to make sure they have Easter outfits for Sunday morning that they don't wear to one of the other services.  And somehow, I manage to pull off Easter dinner at my house after church, although every year I think this will be the year we eat cold cereal for Easter dinner.  But Easter eggs...optional.  The Easter Vigil on Saturday night trumps Resurrection cookies every time--and all other services of the church year, for that matter.  When they're old enough, they can dye eggs without me, like they did last year.

The thing that I know my kids will always remember about this season is the anticipation of joy that climaxes at Easter.  It begins with a somber heads-up at Ash Wednesday and the shock of no dessert afterward.  It builds with all the extra preparations for Holy Week, then as we journey through Holy Week itself, and especially at the Easter Vigil as we settle in for a long night, beginning in darkness and culminating with light, dancing, rejoicing and celebrating that our Lord has risen!  For them, Easter is a much bigger spiritual holiday than Christmas.  And every year, when they are super excited that it is Holy Week, I know we're doing something right.

Holy Week--Mostly Easter Vigil--Glimpses

After the Maundy Thursday service, we process to the Altar of Repose.  Members of our congregation signed up for time slots so that there was a prayer vigil there throughout the night, as Christ's disciples asked them to remain awake, to watch and pray.  This was taken just before sunrise.  Those windows face east, looking out on Lake Michigan.

We hold our Stations of the Cross service in the gymnasium at the Kemper Center, so there is room to process from station to station.

The Easter Vigil begins with the congregation in darkness.  The priest knocks loudly on the door before the procession enters...

...and the Light of Christ is lit and spread throughout the congregation as Father R sings the ancient "Exsultet."

The house lights go up, the candles are extinguished, and we settle in for a recounting of salvation history through a series of nine Old Testament readings, with songs interspersed between each reading.

The first reading is the Creation account.  Seven children read of God's doings on each day, and seven more children hid behind the rood screen to raise a banner for each day.

Since the account of the seventh day is so short ("On the seventh day, God rested from all his work"), all seven banners were up for just a split second before the children started to release them.  You can see the first day is already on its way down.  (But I really wanted the picture because I made all the banners!  Simple as they are, I put a lot of time into them and I was so relieved that the idea worked, they looked great and everyone really liked them. Click to enlarge!)

I was in charge of all the readings, and I tried to include all ages and some new people.  This couple read the account of the Flood (with percussion accompaniment for the rain, the rising water, and the livestock).  They were so happy to be part of the Vigil, since they started coming to Light of Christ during Holy Week last year, and they said they were celebrating their anniversary of being part of the church!

Here are the Israelites, at the shore of the Red Sea.  (See it, there on the right?  It looks dark in the picture, but it's a colorful fabric.)  And that's the Angel of the Lord with the pillar of cloud, in between the Israelites and the Red Sea.

"And there were the Egyptians, advancing on them."

"The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them."

"The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left."

And there's no picture to show it, but of course the waters cover the Egyptians, as they wave their hands wildly seeking to stay "afloat," then the hands slowly disappear as they sink down, and the two walls of water come back together again.

"On that day, the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious..."  (Isaiah 4:2-6, God's Presence in a Renewed Israel).


Salvation Offered Freely to All (Isaiah 55:1-11).  "Seek the Lord while he may be found..."  This expressive teenager gracefully performed what we called "interpretive movements," while her aunt read the passage.

This next one was the most moving reading of all, and I take no credit for it.  I asked the moms of these two budding ballerinas to look at the text and see if they could choreograph something, and what they came up with was so incredibly beautiful and meaningful.  Wish we had video of it!

The girl in white is God, about to cleanse Israel of her sins, which she does by removing and dropping the dirty cloak. "Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."  She made expressive movements of removing and giving a heart, and Israel came to life and inhaled deeply at the words, "I will put my spirit within you."

Then Israel followed God and imitated her movements, as the reading continued, "...and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God."  They ended in a lovely pose with each reaching gracefully toward the other.  It was just beautiful!

Without a stage, we spread the Dry Bones out in the center aisle, hoping that everybody could see at least one of them.  Three boys started out on the ground and slowly coming to life, with our percussionist adding a rattling noise for the bones coming together, and a wind sound when the prophet prophesies to the breath.

The last reading, The Gathering of God's People (Zephaniah 3:14-20), included ten children, in international costumes, being gathered--one by one and in pairs, from either side and down the center aisle--from the nations, ending with all ten children pulling in close to our reader, who did such a nice job of working with the kids while being God, speaking words at times stern, at times comforting, at times celebratory--and cuing the kids with graceful gathering gestures.  (She also was our service coordinator, attending to many logistical details weeks ahead of time!  And she also blogs here.)

The Holy Noise!  (See everyone ringing bells?)  This is when the priest says, "The Lord is risen!" and we respond, "He is risen indeeed; ALLELUIA!"  When you haven't said the "A-word" all during Lent, it is a joyful thing indeed to let it cross your lips!  (One of our visitors told me his favorite part of the service was the Holy Noise, as such a celebratory way to celebrate that moment of the resurrection of Christ.)

The first Eucharist of Easter...

...followed by songs of celebration.

Outside the Holy Fire was still burning as we left, to return again for another joyous celebration on Easter morning!

Special thanks to our photographer, Nathan J!

The Lord is Risen! Alleluia!

"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said."

Holy Saturday

"Today a tomb holds Him 

who holds the creation in the hollow of His hand; 

a stone covers Him who covered the heavens with glory. 

Life sleeps and hell trembles, 

and Adam is set free from his bonds. 

Glory to Thy dispensation, 

whereby Thou hast accomplished all things, 

granting us an eternal Sabbath, 

Thy most holy Resurrection from the dead."

(an Orthodox prayer for Holy Saturday)

Good Friday

Ah, holy Jesus, how hast thou offended, 
that we to judge thee have in hate pretended? 
By foes derided, by thine own rejected, 
O most afflicted! 

Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee? 
Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone thee! 
'Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee; 
I crucified thee. 

Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered; 
the slave hath sinned, and the Son hath suffered. 
For our atonement, while we nothing heeded, 
God interceded. 

For me, kind Jesus, was thy incarnation, 
thy mortal sorrow, and thy life's oblation; 
thy death of anguish and thy bitter passion, 
for my salvation. 

Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay thee, 
I do adore thee, and will ever pray thee, 
think on thy pity and thy love unswerving, 
not my deserving. 

Maundy Thursday

An upper room did our Lord prepare
for those he loved until the end:
and his disciples still gather there
to celebrate their risen friend.


A lasting gift Jesus gave his own:
to share his bread, his living cup,
whatever burdens may bow us down,
he by his cross shall lift us up.


And after supper he washed their feet,
for service, too, is sacrament,
In him our joy shall be made complete--
sent out to serve, as he was sent.


No end there is! We depart in peace.
He loves beyond our uttermost:
in every room in our Father's house
he will be there, as Lord and host.

~Fred Pratt Green

Palm Sunday

Hosanna!

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

We had a lovely Palm Sunday service this morning despite the weather.  The temps were just above freezing, but the wind off Lake Michigan can go right through you even on a balmy Sunday morning, and it's always several degrees colder right on the Lake than it is elsewhere in town.  So we began the service with the Blessing of the Palms indoors in one part of the building, then processed out, down the sidewalk outside the building, through the chapel doors and into our sanctuary, palm branches waving, and it wasn't too bad.

I had been in charge of arranging and rehearsing our reader's theater version of the Passion reading, and it went very well.  Nice to have it over with, though!

We had a great sermon, beautiful music--including a gorgeous Latin piece with lovely harmonies--and a few repeat visitors, which was very encouraging.  Afterward, a group of us rehearsed the Red Sea reading for Easter Vigil, the most ambitious staging I'm attempting, and we all got an idea of what we're doing and we figured out what we need to do to the Red Sea so it doesn't sag so much at our next rehearsal.  I'm so grateful for a handy friend who's taking on that project.

And I remembered to take measurements, while I was in our rented space, for the simple banners I am creating this week for the seven days of creation.  Last week, I visited friends who do lots of costuming--one is Abbi, from our church--and they have a walk-in closet full of bolts of upholstery fabric, linens, satins and amazing patterns that they had obtained for next to nothing, as a bulk lot from a thrift store.  I was able to take bolts of really cool fabrics that will work for five out of the seven banners, plus the Red Sea fabric, before I even had the needed measurements.  Now I just need to buy material for the other two banners and finish the project before our rehearsal on Good Friday...

...along with a dozen other items on my Easter Vigil to-do list.  It's going to be another busy week!

Holy Week, Oh My!

Oh, my...

What a wonderful journey through Holy Week!

This was only our second year doing the full schedule of services. It's so much work, but so rewarding! It reminds me of staging a theater production--so many people are needed up front, behind the scenes and in the audience, and once you've worked together, walked the week together, and seen the Lord show up and infuse all your efforts with His presence and powerful Spirit, it draws you together in marvelous ways. We were delighted to have many visitors, and most of our own congregation at more of the services than we had last year.

Each service had its own highlights. The music was consistently excellent and moving; the sermons were powerful; the mood was right and everyone present was engaged and worshipful. The teens and tweens were really worshipping, along with the adults, and led us in worship at several points--in music, as acolytes and being the first to venerate the cross on Good Friday. We baptized one teenager at the Vigil--a very special and emotional moment--and after he donned an alb and made his first communion, he and Bantam14 exchanged a high-five that brought tears to some eyes! Blondechick sang "How Beautiful" and "Hungry" at the Maundy Thursday service during the footwashing portion, with a new maturity in voice and spirit, and there were so many other moving musical moments. We had many fabulous musicians contributing to our musical worship, but it was especially wonderful to have my brother-in-law singing and playing guitar at all of the services. He's so centered and so excellent at what he does, yet has such humility, and I know God was really ministering through him.

Personally, I was delighted that all the readings at the Easter Vigil went so well, since that was my area to coordinate! Each reader or group of readers engaged with the Scriptures in their own way--which brought variety, some hilarity and always new meaning to the passages that are repeated each year in the Vigil service. We had percussion accompaniment to some of the readings, water noise, human-produced animal noises and other sound effects, and some visual effects as well.

I was most pleased with the final reading which I staged, the Gathering of God's People from Zephaniah 3:12-20, in which we had children dressed in international or Old Testament costumes being "gathered" by the reader. A couple children had lines--one came down the main aisle, in a sari, dancing and shouting, "Sing, O Daughter of Zion; Shout, O Israel!" Another followed her soon after, dressed as a king, proclaiming, "The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil." We had a lame person enter--a boy who really has a broken foot and was on crutches--which got a chuckle from the audience. The proud and arrogant entered and were "removed from among you" (Bantam10 and his friend did a great job of looking haughty as they entered and then offended when they were sent out); later, they re-entered, representing the "outcast" (looking a little more humble this time). At the end there were 8 children standing on either side of the reader, pulling in closer on the final "when I gather you together." The reader, Abbi, did such a great job of ministering the text while also engaging with the children, beckoning and inviting them in, and pausing as they entered--all perfectly timed and so beautifully, invitingly done. We had only had two rehearsals, but the children performed flawlessly! I was so pleased.

I think I could go on and on, and I wish I had pictures! Here are some from last year's Vigil, and there is a link there to pictures from last year's Stations of the Cross service too.

Rejoice with us in God's goodness! His blessing, his mercy and his saving works were so evident in our services last week, and we are so thankful and joyful!!!

Must Share!

I just found out that Church of the Resurrection (our "mother" church) has started a Rez Blog, and so far, it mainly has pictures from their Holy Week services!

I would recommend a look just for the breathtaking photography by our friend Kim Johnson (who took our sidebar photos), but also for the Easter joy in every image.

And that banner is such a visual celebration!! It was made by artist (and blogger) Janice Skivington--that link will take you to more pictures and her comments about creating it. It was made to represent the six days of creation, and then the Alleluia scrim was lowered over it later in the service.

So many well-loved faces jump out at me from those photos. It makes me just a teensy bit homesick for the church we were part of for so many years. It is a wonderful place!

Great Vigil of Easter

We did it! We held our first Easter Vigil! It took an immense amount of energy and preparation--and we didn't have adequate amounts of either--but it all came together and it was completely worth all the effort. Where we were weak, He was strong. And we were delighted to have quite a few visitors who joined us!

The service began with the congregation in darkness. After three sets of three knocks on the door, the priest (aka Father Rooster), holding a candle, entered with the deacon and thurifer (or incense-swinger). He stopped and chanted, "the Light of Christ," at the three points where, at the Good Friday service the night before, he had proclaimed, "the cross of Christ, which takes away the sin of the world."

As the priest sang the Exultet (a long prayer of rejoicing in this marvelous Light), the deacon lit his own candle and began lighting the candles of the congregation.

Chicklet6, whose leg is all better!

Then the Old Testament readings began, recounting God's saving acts through the history of the Israelites. These readings often have dramatic or artistic accompaniment.

I read the story of God parting the waters of the Red Sea with percussion accompaniment (including the mighty wind from the east, the marching Egyptian army and the sound of chariot wheels falling off!). The Story of Creation and the Valley of the Dry Bones were also brought to life by a wonderful percussionist and his student.


One reading was accompanied by a violin...

The signer is our dear sister Barbara (see prayer requests in my sidebar).
The reader is Grandma Rooster, with Uncle Rooster
in the background with the other musicians.

...and another by American Sign Language.

One reading from Isaiah refers to the presence of the Lord as a canopy: "It will serve as a pavilion, a shade by day from the heat, and a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain." Here Grandfather Rooster reads the passage, surrounded by his teenage grandchildren and one other teenager (LOC's whole youth group!) under a Jewish chuppah.

We had no baptisms, but everyone renewed their baptismal vows. Father Rooster and Deacon Joel shook branches wet with holy water over the congregation while Uncle Rooster sang "Sweet Rain."


He also sang another Rez favorite, "He's Alive!" and then came the words we'd been waiting for all night: "The Lord is risen!" And the congregation responded, "He is risen indeed! ALLELUIA!"

It's amazing how exciting it can be to shout one word, after you have carefully avoided saying it for 40 days! Everyone began to ring bells, the drums started up, and all the noise cheered us on as we set the table that had been bare just moments before...


...and heaped flowers in front of it--quickly, quickly!--so the "Holy Noise" could wrap up with a percussion solo!


The black shrouds were also removed from the crosses. (Bantam10, center, was so excited to be crucifer for this service!)


The first Eucharist of the Easter season! It was a great celebration...


...which called for a little movement, the body's natural celebratory response. Some call it dancing...


...and some call it running! till they are slowed by adults joining in.

Thanks so much to our friend Tammy Prather, Deacon Joel's wife, for taking the pictures! (She took the ones at the Stations of the Cross service, too.)

Let me share one little story. It seems that our percussionist, not a regular attender but a good friend of one (the violinist), was considering his accompaniment for the Dry Bones reading. He thought of a percussive instrument that he wished he owned, a shaker with dry seed pods--it would make a rattling sound that would be perfect, he thought. Soon after, the student he was thinking of asking to help out on this project told him excitedly about a new shaker he had just acquired. In fact, he had a picture of it on his cell phone--and it was the very one his teacher didn't think he could get in time for the Vigil! ("Guess what you're doing on Saturday night!" he told the boy.)

Just a small thing, but a God-thing...which really made the Dry Bones come "alive" at our Vigil!

Easter Sunday was another beautiful celebration, with more visitors, including a family group that came because they saw our ad in the paper! And so, seeds were dispersed. Every home that received one of our flyers, every person who saw one of our ads, everyone who came to one of our services and who may tell someone else about it...it's all opportunity for God to act in someone's life, as He acted in ours through our worship this Holy Week.

We praise Him!