So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’

Matthew 28:8-10 (NRSV)

Christ is risen…He is risen indeed!

It was wonderful to see so many in worship on Easter Sunday this past week. We spoke a lot about the Resurrection and what it means in light of hope and possibility. Each Easter is meant to be a rebirth: a concentrated moment of change and reimagining.

It’s also a time to take stock, of course. We can reflect on what we’ve done to prepare for the moment of the empty tomb. The disciples were granted no such time: planning and preparation fall by the wayside when you’re living moment to moment. I can’t imagine how buffeted the disciples felt. The First Easter was probably not a celebration. At least not at first. 

It takes time…

Time to evaluate and to consider. It takes time to understand. It takes time to get to the place where history can inform our next decisions. The disciples had none of that. They were juggling too much information, coming too quickly. Jesus himself had to return from the dead to help them make meaning of what they were going through. 

Looking back over our Lenten season and our Easter celebrations, I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish. 

It all began with a fantastic Fat Tuesday Drive-Up Pancake Supper, where we prepared bundles for the community to take home to celebrate “one last hurrah” before Ash Wednesday descended and we began our Pilgrim Journey through Lent. I wouldn’t change a thing about that event, and I’m grateful for all that so many did to make it happen. 

Fat Tuesday to Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday, I woke early and built a small fire of the palms we saved from last year’s Palm Sunday celebrations. It was a special time, but I only experienced it at home in my backyard. I prayed over the palms and sang hymns while they burned, but now I wish I’d done that at Pilgrim. It may take a special permit, but I think it’s important to share that part of the ritual with others! That night, we prayed and imposed ashes in a reflective service in our sanctuary. 

We also discussed offering ashes at the train station for the morning commute…it would have been a long day with the evening service planned, but as I think back on it, it’s something we should consider for 2023. Offering ashes “on-the-go” is a great way to let other community members know that Pilgrim church is thinking about them. 

The Sermon Series and Holy Week

Our Lenten series was called REConnect, and I focused on how we ReConnect with Spirituality, Creativity, and various other aspects of the church life. I didn’t run a separate weekly series, but maybe that’s another opportunity to consider for next year—sometimes a mid-day contemplative service can help folks keep focused on their Lenten journey in a more intentional week. 

Holy Week felt just right to me: we had a joyous, triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. A few days later was our Maundy Thursday service. Our Pilgrim Deacons read the story of the Passion of Jesus for us. I really loved that service, and many have told me since it’s their favorite of the year. 

Easter arrives…and so do the fowl!

Easter day, we celebrated Easter Sunrise at the Hopkinton State Park Marina, and God was with us. Wood ducks and geese serenaded the congregation. Taking a moment for silence in that perfect setting made the morning special, and thanks to everyone who came out so early for worship! 

We stuck with one service for Easter at 10 am, rather than doing a 9 and an 11. I felt good about that given where our numbers have been lately. It was a blessing to see so many folks, and to have intentional movement breaks built into worship by Director of Christian Education Dawn Sorensen. We have even more up our sleeves for next year in terms of welcoming families, and I was grateful to see so many folks back in worship on that special day. 

Then Christian Ed brought us what I hope will be an on-going tradition: a church-wide Easter egg hunt. The eggs were full of toys, inspirational quotes and even candy! The kids who came seemed to have a great time. I loved following them around to see what they found, and many others did as well.

But what did you think?

So that’s my evaluation…what’s yours? Rest assured, the Deacons and I will talk over what transpired, and I’m sure it will come up at council as well. If you’d like to offer any feedback about our Lenten/Holy Week/Easter services, please speak with me directly or send an email. I’d love to hear from you. Also, it’s only in taking time to evaluate that we understand better what we’ve done, why we’ve done it, and what we may have missed. 

I wish you all the blessings of Eastertide.