Categories: easter
Date: 12 April 2009 12:31:30
Alleluia, Christ is Risen
This morning was a morning of two distinct halves. Up to the 5am vigil service at the Cathedral which was my "high church" experience. I have to confess, I don't have much experience of that end of the candle and so wasn't at all sure what to expect, but it meant I got to do a sunrise service and that is a special aspect of Easter for me.
The pattern was we started off in the vigil bit listening to readings from the old testament then we headed into the cloisters. There we stood and peered through the pillars at Bishop Tom and various clergy doing some kind of ritual around a bonfire, which was actually the posh version of one of those braziers which strikers used to stand around. Have to say from where I was standing it all looked a bit more durid than CofE like, but sure it was all sound Christian practice going on. Then it was on into the cathedral, via getting our candles lit. Once in there we had an Easter communion service including baptism / confirmation.
The service was a bit of an experience, incense and stuff, various bits of moving around, managing to lose Third Party (yes... I managed to lose my daughter in the cathedral during a communion service). Oh and there was a strange bit after the font / confirmation when the Bishop went around using a bit of a tree to splash water over the congregation. The sermon was good, although I really wished I had been in an atmosphere where I had felt comfortable laughing. Some of the metaphors used were a tad well.... tenuous is probably the best description but it was a good sermon, (as you'd probably expect from N.T. Wright). Afterwards we headed off to breakfast which had been laid on in the cathedral coffee shop. Difference between your average sunrise service and what you got here, well I'd never been offered Bucks Fizz to celebrate the risen Lord before.
Anyway that was part one of the morning. Second half was off to the Methodist which is now home and at the opposite end of the candle, if on the candle at all. V. different service; far more relaxed. We started off decorating the cross with flowers, which was cool. Then we worked our way through a communion service, with another good thought provoking sermon, which culminated with rolling Cream Eggs down the aisle.... really didn't get what was going on there, but apparently it was some kind of tradition.
This whole Easter season has been v. different to what I've experienced in the past. There were no shared meals and that I missed, even breakfast today was around small tables only sharing with those I was actually with. Still all in all has been a v. meaningful time which yet again has illustrated different means exactly that.... not better or worse....just different.