Grace and Peace,
There are two comments I have seen numerous times on social media. Perhaps you have had similar thoughts; first is “This is the Lentiest Lent we have ever Lented” and the second is “I never expected to give up Church for Lent”.
Each season of Lent is different because personally we are in a different place as we enter the 40 day period; though few would argue that this has been a Lenty Lent, giving up Church has never been on the horizon. In fact, the effort to produce and participate in remote or virtual Church has required that we all learn a new set of skills. It has been quite a challenge, and it was never an option to study video production and editing in seminary.
What I have seen is that a number of people have risen to the occasion to help so that our Church remains connected and so that no one need give up Church for Lent. For Holy Week and Easter there are 18 worship offerings thanks to the efforts of Jim Kreger, Mother Shivaun, Jake, Lois, Stephen, Mary Lou, Jay, Paul, Diane, Tammy, and me, all of whom worked from home or in pairs at a distance in the church; if I have neglected anyone I am truly sorry, and this does not include those who have done readings for our weekly worship, it does take a village.
This Holy Week a new family offering of Stations of Holy Week for Families is available. These are daily activities that will bring an appreciation of Christ’s journey and final days. Little preparation is needed for a big impact.
We are also offering a virtual Stations of the Cross; this is a more traditional meditation that follows the 14 Stations of the Cross, and Christ’s journey to the grave. Each Station includes the traditional proclamation and prayers and is then followed by music and an art piece to focus upon, you may wish to pause the video streaming to linger at some of the stations. This meditation will be available beginning Palm Sunday and any time During Holy Week for your own worship.
During Holy Week we will also offer both Morning Prayer and Compline each day. Compline, for those not familiar with it, is a brief service traditionally said at the very end of the day. Both Morning Prayer and Compline are accompanied by music, organ in the morning and guitar in the evening. The guitar music is a suite of 6 pieces composed by Jake Simpson for this occasion, and the organ music is a selection of hymns and other appropriate pieces performed by Jim Kreger. We are fortunate to have our worship enhanced with these musical offerings.
There will also be reflections offered on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday by Mother Shivaun, Bishop Chilton, and me.
Easter Sunday will be celebrated with Morning Prayer and a sermon; the brass, timpani, and choir will have to wait until we are united again within the walls of St. John’s historic church.
This has been a Lent unlike any other Lent, and it will be an Easter unlike any other Easter; but through all this the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. During the next week we will walk the fateful journey into Jerusalem and death, and we will come out on the far side knowing the glory of the Resurrection.
God be with you until we meet again.
Fr. Henry+
