Erin Loves Brad: Holy Week and Easter 2017!

This is several weeks late, but...

He is Risen!

HE IS RISEN, INDEED!

We've been extremely busy the last few weeks, so I'm trying to get in gear and catch up on our life chronicling.

We had a really good holy week. Both of the girls thoroughly enjoyed Palm Sunday. Like our previous two churches, Blacknall also does a Palm Sunday procession into the sanctuary! For those of us who did not grow up with this tradition, the first time we participate, it feels so odd; a little silly, really fun, very significant. Everyone gathers outside the sanctuary before the service, and then we all enter together, singing and waving palm branches, much like those who welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem just days before his crucifixion. Incidentally, many churches save the palm branches from Palm Sunday to burn for the ashes needed for the following Ash Wednesday.

Claire is old hat at Palm Sunday branch-waving at this point (she still loves it), and Lily has now been initiated. We gave her a single leaf off of one of our branches, and she knew what to do with it immediately. She held onto her little leaf the whole morning (and got very stressed when she accidentally dropped it). Thanks to our Resurrection Eggs + Claire's incredible Sunday school class teachers and curriculum (they had "practiced" for Palm Sunday the week before!), she understood why we were doing what we were doing.

Lily and her leaf.

Our church has a Maundy Thursday service, but my parents and Amiee had just gotten in that day, so the girls and I didn't end up going (Brad and Amiee did). But we did all go to the Good Friday service. The Good Friday/Tenebrae services at all of the churches of our married life have been so very important to me. They all have me leaving the church and heading into Saturday in grief...which is exactly the point.

The service is centered around a series of seven scripture readings (called lessons) of Jesus' trial and crucifixion. Blacknall actually does a dramatic reading of each lesson with volunteers from the church. It's really quite powerful; the readers and musicians all sit in the balcony where those of us on the first floor can't see them and move through the readings as the sanctuary becomes darker and darker. As part of the ambiance of the service, everything is removed from the front of the sanctuary (pulpit, flowers, chairs) except for a table with 7 candles, which are lit at the beginning. After each reading and accompanying song (some sung only by the choir and some sung by everyone), a candle is extinguished and the overhead lights are dimmed. During the 6th reading, everyone participates, as we reach the part where the crowd cries "Crucify!" and it's heartbreaking and humbling. After Jesus' final words on the cross, all the lights are extinguished, and we leave in silence. It's overwhelmingly sad (leaving such a void that only the hope of Easter can fill).

We very much miss the incomparable Saturday Easter Vigil at Church of the Cross in Boston, there's no denying that, but I'm very happy with the structure of the Holy Week services at Blacknall. It's wonderful for shaping my heart at Easter.

Holy Saturday was actually spent celebrating Lily's birthday and prepping for Easter. Claire and Amiee dyed eggs, we prepped for Sunday lunch, and we took my family to one of our favorite restaurants in Durham: Cosmic Cantina. Come visit, and we'll take you, too!

Dyeing eggs

Outside of Cosmic Cantina. These pictures were such a cute idea in my head, but the girls were struggling with the sun. Bless it.

Brad got up and went to the sunrise service while the rest of us slept a little longer. My mom is allergic to Easter lilies, so when we got to church, I showed her some of the Sunday school rooms that have the service piped through speakers so that she could still participate. Lily stayed with her, as it's usually her morning nap time, and we thought she might nap. Nope. But I think they had a good time anyway. Dad, Amiee, and Claire went into the service...and Brad and I headed to nursery, because, of course, it was our assigned day. That was a bummer, but it was a good celebration day, nonetheless. After church, we had lunch at home and invited a few friends to join, which made it even more fun (especially since they brought the BEST homemade cheesecake for dessert!). The girls enjoyed their Easter baskets (so did Brad, Amiee, and I...Mom is very good at Easter baskets, no matter how old we get!), and we saw Amiee off to the airport safely.

We had a great Lenten season of preparing before a joyful and exciting Easter Sunday. Thanks for joining in on our journey! We'll do it again next year. :)