Dear friends,
“You raise me up.” Throughout the Lenten season, we have sung the chorus of one of our favorite anthems as our response following the Assurance of God’s Forgiveness. We chose this chorus for its connection with our Lenten theme, “Traveling Together Toward Easter.” The chorus acknowledges the ways we are raised up by the teaching, presence and inspiration of Jesus on the journey. It also celebrates the ways we raise each other up—through the love we share, the hospitality we offer, our expressions of healing, and our acts of service and witness.
On Easter Sunday, the words take on an even deeper meaning, as the choir sings the entire anthem in the context of the Easter story. However we understand the resurrection of Jesus, it is all about being raised up. It is about Jesus raised from the dead. It is about the ways we are raised up by the assurance that love is more powerful than all the things that beat us down or hold us down. It is about wonder and beauty that lift our spirits. It is about the community of disciples—then and now—that hold each other up through our acts of caring. It is about the ways we are empowered to lift up hope and healing and love for a world in need.
Before we get to Easter, we travel together through Holy Week. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday—a joyous and ominous parade. This year, once again, we celebrate with an outdoor parade, together with our friends from El Toque del Maestro church and a pony! We will parade around the block, shouting and singing. Then we will gather in a circle outside the office building for a shared service of communion, in English and Spanish, rejoicing that Christ makes us one. We will have pony rides, a cross-making table, crafts and refreshments!
On Maundy Thursday, we will gather in Edwards Hall for a simple meal, communion and a service of Tenebrae, as we remember Jesus’ last supper with his disciples. It is a tender time of caring and community; it is a sorrowful time as we tell a story of betrayal and pain.
Then on Easter some hearty souls will gather around the firepit at 6:00 a.m., overlooking the cemetery, for a sunrise service. Many more hearty souls will gather at 10:00 a.m., for a service that will include a flowering cross, our special anthem accompanied by a slide show, Easter eggs and a message of hope. Following the service, we will have an outdoor coffee hour and a story walk (see Karen Nell’s letter for more information).
I am grateful for the ways we have raised each other up during this season of Lent. I look forward to the culmination of our season, as we rejoice in God’s power to raise us up to new life.
Peace, Debbie