Comments on: Can You Get to Easter from Here? http://pursiful.com/2008/03/can-you-get-to-easter-from-here/ Darrell Pursiful's blog Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:54:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: SingingOwl http://pursiful.com/2008/03/can-you-get-to-easter-from-here/comment-page-1/#comment-900 SingingOwl Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:31:45 +0000 http://pursiful.com/?p=639#comment-900 Well said! As one who was introduced to Holy Week observances, including Good Friday service, "late in the day," I have come to savor the week, moment by moment. To jump to Easter, as all the churches I attended in year's past (except one, and now my own) did, is missing a critical piece. There is nothing happening at church today except youth group, which meets downstairs, so I was able to go over to the sanctuary and begin setting up for tomorrow's service. There was something deeply satisfying, sad and yet good, about arraning a purple altar cloth, candles, small palm tree, vase of dried palm branches, wooden chalice, placing a wooden carved bust of Jesus with crown of thorns in just the right light, and so on. There was a moment--difficult to describe--when I stood back to view the table's arrangement and I felt that it was pleasing to the Holy Spirit and to me. A holy moment! Blessings to you and your womenfolk this week! Well said! As one who was introduced to Holy Week observances, including Good Friday service, “late in the day,” I have come to savor the week, moment by moment. To jump to Easter, as all the churches I attended in year’s past (except one, and now my own) did, is missing a critical piece.

There is nothing happening at church today except youth group, which meets downstairs, so I was able to go over to the sanctuary and begin setting up for tomorrow’s service. There was something deeply satisfying, sad and yet good, about arraning a purple altar cloth, candles, small palm tree, vase of dried palm branches, wooden chalice, placing a wooden carved bust of Jesus with crown of thorns in just the right light, and so on.

There was a moment–difficult to describe–when I stood back to view the table’s arrangement and I felt that it was pleasing to the Holy Spirit and to me. A holy moment!

Blessings to you and your womenfolk this week!

]]> By: PS http://pursiful.com/2008/03/can-you-get-to-easter-from-here/comment-page-1/#comment-899 PS Mon, 17 Mar 2008 03:06:01 +0000 http://pursiful.com/?p=639#comment-899 Lovely parallel. I'm grateful to my parents, mom in particular, for taking us to Wednesday evening Lenten services all those years. I'm grateful that some years our pastor showed movies or film strips of the passion story. I'm grateful that I can attend the Lenten services at my current church, which I've done for years, except in the early years here when I didn't always have a car or when the kids were just babies. This year we studied Matthew 25:34 - end of chapter each week, as there is so much there. I'm always sorry when something takes me away from the ritual of the Wednesday evening services, or the Holy Week services. This year I won't have to miss church this coming week. This year, the Maundy Thursday service is at the Catholic Church, which will be a new stop on the journey for me. Lovely parallel.

I’m grateful to my parents, mom in particular, for taking us to Wednesday evening Lenten services all those years. I’m grateful that some years our pastor showed movies or film strips of the passion story.

I’m grateful that I can attend the Lenten services at my current church, which I’ve done for years, except in the early years here when I didn’t always have a car or when the kids were just babies. This year we studied Matthew 25:34 – end of chapter each week, as there is so much there.

I’m always sorry when something takes me away from the ritual of the Wednesday evening services, or the Holy Week services.

This year I won’t have to miss church this coming week. This year, the Maundy Thursday service is at the Catholic Church, which will be a new stop on the journey for me.

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