Holy week, beginning with Palm Sunday and ending with Easter Sunday has always been a special time. The celebration of Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem, the parade around church properties singing "All Glory Laud and Honor" followed by Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday. This year though it has special meaning. It is probably the last year when I won't be required to work in a parish. This is the last time that I will be allowed to worship as a member of the congregation rather than as a member of the altar party. With that in mind, a fellow student, Twila and I decided to ask around the seminary community which parishes had the best service for each of the days. We got varying answers but many people could agree on certain churches. With that information, we decided to plot out our plan of attack, beginning on Wednesday.
My grandmother, Catherine, passed away last year on April 15 and she had always spoken of the Tenebrae service she attended at her church. I had never attended one so we decided to start there on Wednesday night at St. Mark's Church in Berkeley. It was a moving service with lots of chanting and ending in darkness. During the service I listened intently and could feel my grandmother looking down from heaven. It was pretty moving for me.
Maundy Thursday we went back to St. Mark's again for their service. During this service, the priests washed the feet of the parishioners just as Jesus had done for his disciples over 2000 years ago. I have been to these services in the past and knew what to expect even still St. Mark's service was touching. I have never gone forward to have my feet washed and I am still trying to understand the practice. After the foot washing the entire church was stripped bear and we all left in darkened silence.
Thursday night an altar of repose was set up in the chapel and seminarians took turns praying in the chapel. I prayed from 6:30 - 7:30 am and spent much time in mediation and contemplation. In my life, the time was a great respite from the hustle and bustle of life. My hour of prayer was followed by morning prayer at 7:30.
For Good Friday, we were told to go to St Mary's in San Francisco. During this service I was moved to tears. It was a service like I have never attended. After the gospel was read, the cross was carried in church and laid on the floor at the base of the altar. In our bulletins, we were given a piece of paper to write something we wished to pray for. We then took turns walking to the cross, kneeled down, prayed and placed our paper at the base of the cross. While this practice was something I had seen before in other settings, I never seen it done during a Good Friday service. After everyone had placed their prayers at the foot of the cross, the choir sang an anthem. These are the words:
Rest well, you sacred limbs,
for which I no longer weep - -
rest well,
and bring me also to my rest.
The grave that is allotted to you,
and contains no further suffering,
opens heaven for me and shuts off hell.
For me, I finally had prayer for something that I have been burdened with and carried for many years. It was a time to leave them at the foot of the cross and then to hear the choir sing the words, Rest well, you sacred limbs, for which I no longer weep were more than I could take. It was like a damn had broken and I was freed. I will never forget that night or that place as a place where I was able to let go of the guilt I carried for far too long.
Saturday is the Easter Vigil. Third and final service of the Triduum. This service begins where the Good Friday service ends and by the end of the service marks the beginning of Easter. It is when the light of Christ is brought back into the church after having been extinguished on Thursday night. For the Vigil, we went to St. Gregory's. St. Gregory's is a church like no other. All I can say is that if you are ever in San Francisco, you need to worship at St Gregory's at least once. The service began at 8:00 pm and was over at 11:15. Twila and I had to quickly leave in order to catch the last bus back to Berkeley.
Today for Easter, we decided to try Christ Church, a church of the Nippon Sei Ko Kai, the anglican church of Japan. The service was in English but the majority of the congregation is of Japanese descent. It was a wonderfully moving service with two baptisms. From there we decided to have a Easter feast of Sushi and then take the bus back to Berkeley.
Something changed our minds though. We felt called to witness another Easter service though. It was during this second Easter service, that I know I met the Risen Christ. I have spoken about Open Cathedral in the past but today was different. In the heart of San Francisco on a small walkway between a federal building and another building, about 75 people mainly homeless gathered to celebrate Easter. Here among the people that most of society would call "the least of these" I witnessed community like no other. We sang praise songs, heard a sermon that felt like I had stepped into a revival, and then broke bread. During the entire service, some people walked up to join us, other got scared by the looks of the people and turned the other way, and yet others merely walked by as if nothing was happening. Yet, as we worshipped and prayed, the members of that congregation poured out their hearts for all the people who have less then them. A group of homeless men and women praying for others. There was not one ounce of pity among them. In fact they were praising God that they were alive and doing well. I wish that I could have just one tenth of the grace and kindness that they had. If more of the population could model their behavior, the world would be a much better place. I left that service knowing that Christ is alive in well in that small part of San Francisco.
This morning, during the baptisms, we renewed our baptismal covenant. In those covenants, we are asked to proclaim the Good News of God in Christ, seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves and strive for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being. Although I am tired from attending these services, I am also leaving Holy Week refreshed. Refreshed because I have a newfound strength for my personal call. A call that I feel is to help Christians everywhere live into the Baptismal Covenant that we make with God. But I know that I can't do this alone and for that I answer my call with the same answer we give to our baptismal covenant, I will, with God's help.
May you all have a Blessed Eastertide!
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