“Alleluia! Christ is risen! Come let us adore him! Alleuia!” Morning Prayer on Easter Monday was well attended and heartily spoken. Mick lead us through the new schedule of liturgy in this new season. The Pascha Nostrum, the Song of Moses, two enthronement Psalms, and readings on the exodus and the resurrection. Now we stand during the Prayers (though as a reflex I began to kneel at “The Lord be with you” and accidentally lead half the worshipers to their knees). This is the Easter position – Christos aneste – Christ is risen – but more literally “Christ stood up.” So we stand with him to proclaim that with him we are raised. What joy! What grace! What can we offer in return for such? Our very lives, which he has now redeemed (=bought! – They are his anyhow!). “Almighty God, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving kindness to us!” It is great to know, and to learn by the experience of the rhythms of the liturgy, that Easter follows Good Friday. I focus a lot on the cross – and rightly so – but it is good be reminded that after the long, hard toil of the Way, and the pain and torture of the cross itself, stands the inexplicable, illogical, and utterly unexpected glory and joy of resurrection life. We glimpse its reality, if only for a moment, as we gather with the angels in the heavenly choir.
Breakfast followed, of course, in the Parish Hall. The weather was really nice so we are going to have to start eating outside on the picnic tables. All the usual suspects were there – I think we had about 15 total – including about five who spent the night sleeping in the back yard or around town but who then come up for breakfast. One of our usual friends, C, who lives across Durham out in the (comparative) boonies was around for some construction work he did last week. “You going over by my place at all?,” he asked Mick. “No, but I can be,” the good Warden replied. S got out of his tent and came in for a glass of juice and announced that he was going back to bed. “Hibernation,” I think Luke called it. But S didn’t leave before he had announced that (unbeknownst to me) everyone was welcome over at my place tonight to watch Duke play for the national title. We all enjoyed a brand-new egg casserole this morning and quite a good (as usual) one at that. I gobbled up more than my share.
Every week is a new adventure.
--Colin
