Easter

I just returned from a good friday service at my current sunday church. (yes, I go to church on both days - it's my ambition to be as ecumenical as possible, without rubbing the 4th commandment in anyone's face). and so I've decided that adventists really don't celebrate easter like other churches; our solemnity, drama, sorrow, pain, separation, and joy are all comparatively subdued. I'm just sayin...

things of note:

Maundy thursday had a handwashing ceremony, complete with antibacterials. it was a service theme. I prefer/dislike/reverence our footwashing service for it's outright combination of both humility and service.

the service ended with the front of the church being stripped of the palms from sunday, the drape over the cross, and everyone left in silence. it was meaningful.

my feet were terrible on the organ; simply because I don't have a great level of spatial awareness with my feet and I didn't pull my robe back out of the way; it was pretty bad.

oh, and we've got about 6-7 inches of snow right now. that didn't make for good driving. no.

and then tonight, the good friday service. an interesting combination of sorrow and joy. they slowly extinguished candles while reading verses from Luke, brought the Christ candle to the back of the church, and then blew it out while a strepitus was heard. A strepitus is supposed to be a sharp nose to signal the death of Jesus - the AV at this church gave us this unexpected sci-fi, dolby digital kind of a attack and decay. I appreciate their ministry.

but before; the pastor gave a children's story, wherein he made the statement that Jesus knew that he would rise in 3 days (I'm not disputing that fact) and that it gave him joy (I dispute the smiling face the pastor used to illustrate this point). I've typically envisioned Jesus on the cross, struggling with hope and faith, unsure of the next moment. It seems like a great connection with our own human christian walk - we can logically and theological deduce the future and the plan of salvation, but in the moment (you know...the moment) it still takes faith and trust...all those risky things. and I think an uncertainty in Jesus makes it a truer sacrifice. of course, that brings up other questions...