I’ve had some thoughts about this weekend and Easter. This year Eastern Pascha and Western Easter fell on the same day. It’s my understanding this does not happen often. But that’s not what my thought was about.
My thought begins with the fact that a number of years ago at Living Hope we started celebrating the Passover before Easter. We had invited some friends from the Orthodox Church to participate, and they came. But to celebrate the Passover is something not regularly done in the Orthodox Church, and I wondered why they (the Orthodox) would appear to even be opposed to the idea. Then it hit me this year. It is celebrated. As Pascha. Pascha is the new Passover. Only in the Protestant churches I’ve attended, Easter has never really been that. There isn’t the build up – the anticipation – the feasting as a church. Typically, there has been more done about Christmas than Easter. And I was surprised last Christmas when I heard a pastor actually say that most pastors have a favourite between Easter and Christmas, and his was Christmas. A part of me thought, “But if we don’t have Easter, Christmas has no point!” I knew intellectually that Easter was more important than Christmas, but I didn’t know how to make Easter more important.
Let me tell you, this year Easter was more important than Christmas. And, in good form, I was grouchy right before Easter just like I’m grouchy before Christmas. Not that I’m advocating being grouchy – but I was. But I was happier after Easter than I have ever been after Christmas. After Christmas always feels like a let down. Like I’ve spent all this time getting ready for a day that comes and then it’s over so quickly. I’m still in the glow of Easter. I think, “Christ is Risen!” and look forward to 40 days of celebrating that He has.
So I haven’t really explained why Easter was so much better yet. Well, it started with Lent. Now, I didn’t ‘feel’ like I was in the spirit of Lent (not as repentant and sorrowful as I should have been, I suppose), but we did participate in the services and some fasting. So there was always the idea that it was because Easter was coming. And then there was Holy Week. I don’t know if Palm Sunday counts as part of that, but I remember last year at Living Hope someone had brought palm branches and tried to make something of Palm Sunday with a story to the kids but, to be honest, I didn’t get it – and I know what Palm Sunday is supposed to be about. The meaning was lost somehow. But I got Palm Sunday this year. We had the palm branches at St. Vincent’s, and the kids did the processional. There is WAY more scripture reading and far less interpretation. We didn’t go to all the services during the week, but enough to know that we were preparing for the death of Christ. I’m so glad I know the end of the story, ‘cuz it could’ve been depressing. To hear the scriptures about how Christ was betrayed, beaten and killed – I couldn’t help but weep. But I knew Sunday was coming! (where Christ is no longer in the tomb but is alive!) And even though the service starts at 11:30 Saturday night (at which point I said, “what reasonable human beings are awake and starting a service at this hour of the day!”) and our kids are sleeping under and on the benches, there was so much anticipation. The service is like acting out a drama and everyone is a participant. No spectator sport here.
This was only my second Pascha, so I’m not sure I’ll remember everything in detail. But I can tell you that overall the service points to how Christ is the fulfillment of the Passover. We don’t need the old Passover any more because now we have the new Passover. Christ did all that needed to be done. Not that I regret having participated in a Passover meal. It has given me an understanding I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
But one of the greatest things was preparing an Easter basket with all the foods we’d been fasting from through Lent (well, more than just what we’d fasted from as all we had done as a family was meat). And then when the service is done at about 3 a.m. we all head downstairs where the priest blesses our baskets and we feast! We share what we have as a community. (and hope that once we get home the kids will sleep in! ^-^ )
Overall, I feel as though no matter how much I try to describe what it’s like to celebrate Easter in the Orthodox Church, words will not do it justice. Experiencing it once isn’t enough, and I expect it will take many more Pascha celebrations to realize how much richness is really there.
This is how I can make Easter a bigger deal than I ever have in the past.
1 comment:
I love Easter! And in some way, shape or form have always celebrated Holy Week. Well, except for in college, but we all know there were things about college...
Easter is the celebration of Christ fulfilling the law, defeating death (and sin). It is truly what sets us apart from other religions. Easter is a time of hope and of wonderment and of knowing deep in my bones that Christ has risen and therefore I am alive!
What you celebrated sounds very similar to what my church does. We're part of the Anglican Communion, which has more liturgy than the Baptist church I grew up in. And there was something amazing knowing that all over the world, on Maundy Thursday all in the communion were remembering the betrayal of Christ and that final passover. That on Good Friday, we were all reading scripture and mourning our Lord's death on the cross. That on Saturday we were sitting in vigil together, across cultures and across oceans. That on Sunday we celebrated that He is Risen! Alleluia!
There is less preaching during Holy week. There is more scripture and collects and hymns and prayer. It is an amazing and wonderous time and I wish more believers could experience it. There is something powerful in relying on scripture and prayer together as a community.
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