Holy Week Reflections

I do love the week of Palm Sunday to Easter.  With all my knitting flurry, bunny exchanges, and cooking and family life, it is still nice to have that especially reflective time. 

My church has a tradition of starting Holy Week on Palm Sunday with a procession from the Mission Center carrying palm branches around to the front entrance, much like the original Palm Sunday.  The readings and music brought back to my mind thoughts of the play/movie "GodSpell".  I loved the music and the replaying of the parables, as well as the childlike joy that permeates the play.  I found myself humming "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord" many times last week. 

We also have a tradition of an all night prayer vigil from Thursday evening until the Good Friday service.  I have spent the hour I sign up for in various ways.  On my knees reading out of the Book of Common Prayer, playing guitar or piano and singing. (My piano ability is strictly one-finger.) This year I did a little reading, a little singing with piano, and a lot of knitting and talking to God.  I find my knitting helps me focus and I can get some serious praying done while knitting.  It helps to corral my grasshopper thoughts.

Finally the joy of Easter.  I so love the songs, the ringing out of the Alleluia's that have been suppressed all Lent.  This year I also mellowed out on the Hollywood version of Easter--The Ten Commandments on Saturday.  Ben Hur and Barabbas on Sunday.  (I finally broke from the relitious mold with a little Fred and Judy in Easter Parade Sunday evening.)  But it is the hymns that help make the season real to me.

I had to apologize to my priest.  Before the service, as I was reviewing th songs, I was going "love that, oooo thats a goody."  But then I got to the recessional.  Do I know that one?  Did Duncan pick some British Easter song we never heard of?  But to my delight, when we got to the end of the service, it was a wonder Easter hymn. Great words.  And the tune--Onward Christian Soldiers! 

Onward to Life.