Mini Musing - April
darkness, water, and lemon poppyseed cake
I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend. Holy Week has become one of my favorite weeks of the year and I found lots of delight in the little details of this observance.
Candles
More specifically, the use of light and darkness. One of my favorite evenings during Holy Week is Wednesday’s Tenebrae service. In our church, we meet at sundown and slowly extinguish candles while reading scripture and poetry. The room is swallowed in darkness and silence. It is a very solemn service. By the end of the evening, there is only one candle left and instead of extinguishing it, someone takes the candle and leaves the room with it leaving the church in complete darkness. This last candle symbolizes the death of Christ. While in darkness, a loud sound interrupts the silence to signify the defeat of death and the single candle is brought back into the room to symbolize the resurrection. It is such a beautiful way to tell the story. On Easter morning, we start before daylight with our candles in hand by the time the service has reached its climax, the sun is peaking through the stain glass and we are singing as loud as we can. It is magical!
Foot-washing
On Maundy Thursday, we observed a foot washing service; the first one I have ever attended. Anna grew up with a foot washing service and has said that it was her favorite service of the year. My church never did that and I have always been a little skittish about it. Not only does it sound kind of…gross…but I also was not a fan of how humbling the practice would be. I wanted to go and challenge myself and it was beautiful. As I sat down with my feet in the basin of water and Anna knelt to wash them, the congregation began singing one of my favorite hymns, How Deep The Father’s Love For Us. The last verse always hits me to my core:
I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart –
His wounds have paid my ransom.
Feasting
Easter Sundays have become this tradition of getting up early, napping, and then feasting. Anna made roast chicken and homemade rolls and a lemon poppyseed cake that was nothing short of a celebration. We spent the afternoon with some dear friends and since one of them is Polish, she made a wonderful horseradish and sausage dish that has become one of my favorite foods ever. It was a beautiful day.
Now I gear up for some shows this month:
Lexington, KY - April 10th
Columbia, TN - April 11th (free show)
Indianapolis, IN - April 24th
Batesville, IN - April 25th (release show)
How did you spend Easter?
My first Maundy Thursday Mass as a priest was at the local prison. Forty-six ICE detainees crammed into a room designated for 30 max capacity. When I knelt down to begin washing feet, a man knelt down next to me and the two of us washed several men’s feet in the Rubbermaid tub I’d purchased at Walmart that morning. It was amazing.