Thread: Easter services Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.


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Posted by Spike (# 36) on :
 
So how was it for you?

We began with a procession around the church while singing "Hail Thee a festival Day". We paused to bless the Easter garden and then continued on our way. I swear the thurifer was making the route up as he went along!

For the Gospel acclamation the choir sang the Hallelujah Chorus. The gospel (read by Yours Truly) was from John 20.

A very inspiring sermon from our Honorary Assistant Priest was followed by the renewal of baptism vows. Our parish priest had great fun sprinkling the congregation and the children in the congregation thought that bit was hilarious.

The church was packed and so many people came up to receive communion we started breaking the hosts in half for fear of running out.

The mass setting was was the Collegiam Regale in E by Harold Darke. The choir sang 2 motets and a hymn during the communion, but I didn't really notice as I was administering.

Wine was served along with coffee and cake after the service!

[ 05. April 2015, 12:17: Message edited by: Spike ]
 

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Posted by Bishops Finger (# 5430) on :
 
Ours was a little less elaborate, perhaps (!), but relaxed and joyful - and our P-in-C was (thanks be to God) recovered enough from the Lurgy to not only celebrate the Eucharist, but also to deliver an inspiring (and quite Evangelical) homily.....

Prayer at the Easter Garden as we entered, then the Blessing and Lighting of the Paschal Candle, procession through the Church ( The light of Christ - Thanks be to God! ), Renewal of Baptismal Vows following the homily, and Regina Coeli sung with great gusto after the final hymn.

Fewer visitors this year, but a good turn-out by those of our Regulars and Irregulars who haven't buzzed off on holiday......ours is the parish which people leave, rather than visit, at holiday times

Ian J.
(who is now collapsed in a humpled creep....)
 

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Posted by betjemaniac (# 17618) on :
 
We just had said BCP Holy Communion - joys of a multi-church parish.

Actually though, as is often the case I find, it was excellent.
 

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Posted by Qoheleth. (# 9265) on :
 
Everything squeezed in the 10am here. New Fire 'emerges' from the sacristy, bonfire in church, paschal candle, candles all round, abbreviated Exultet, party poppers, bells, this year's innovation - a confetti cannon, phallic conjunction of candle and font, renewal of baptismal vows, much splashing and sprinkling, and we made Eucharist. To the organist's recurrent despair, all concluded with an egg hunt.

Sacristans, MCs and clergy have earned a glass of post-Lenten wine.
 

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Posted by moonfruit (# 15818) on :
 
Fairly standard communion service, but with lots of Easter joy - I think one of my favourite parts of the whole church year is when the Priest says "Alleluia, Christ is risen" and all reply "He is risen indeed, alleluia". There were beautiful flowers all over church too, as well as the Easter garden created yesterday by some of our children.

Things were slightly interrupted when one of the older members of our congregation collapsed mid-sermon - I certainly didn't anticipate having to call an ambulance this morning! Still, paramedics were quick to turn up and whisk him off to hospital, and hopefully all will be well. The rest of the service proceeded as normal (well, as normal as can be with paramedics trying to do their thing quietly etc), and the children had great fun finding eggs after the service.
 

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Posted by leo (# 1458) on :
 
9.00 last night - fire lit outside, processed into church with the candle, heard the OT lessons by candlelight, gloria with bells, Litany of the Saints and two people baptised then the First Mass of Easter.

Fireworks and fizz followed.
 

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Posted by Stephen (# 40) on :
 
8.30 last night - much the same as Leo's but without the fireworks!

This morning blessing of the Easter Garden, setting was Schubert in G, Easter Anthems, Widor's Toccata as voluntary followed by an Easter egg hunt!

Choral Evensong tonight to which I'm afraid I didn't go as I was feeling somewhat shattered and flaked out on the sofa
 

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Posted by Joan Rasch (# 49) on :
 
I arose at 2:20 am, in order to make my way to the porch of the chapel of the Society of St John the Evangelist by 3:30, (bearing the traditional thermos of coffee), where I met my collegues awaiting the doors opening at 4:00 for the 4:30 Vigil.

Wonderful Vigil as always - all the readings and chanted psalms, renewal of Baptismal Vows and Eucharist. (All this takes a shade over 3 1/4 hours.)

Then, being a glutton for punish /// liturgy, I took myself to IHOP for breakfast, read SOF on my tablet, and returned for the 10:00 am Easter Day service.

Having now been up for a little over 12 hours, I am listening to the roast lamb sizzling (must go to put in the potatoes now)

cheers from Boston /Joan
 

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Posted by daisymay (# 1480) on :
 
It was at 5am today ! It was good in the church.
 

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Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :
 
Fairly exuberant morning Eucharist with three baptisms (2A, 1C) and Christ is Risen in five languages, English, Greek, Latin, Slavonic and Welsh (possibly pronounced wrong).
 

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Posted by PaulBC (# 13712) on :
 
We had 3 baptisms, childrens prcession , a packed church, normal eucherist and a sermon by our Bishop . Who on the recessional was sprinkling us with holy water . Great time
 

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Posted by Robert Armin (# 182) on :
 
Having had a whole string of very beautiful services for the past fortnight, sadly Easter was an anti-climax. The main fault lay with the Powerpoint, on which all the words for responses and hymns appear. Except the person working it kept falling asleep (I assume) so verses of hymns went unsung, prayers unsaid, as they only appeared after they had finished. And whoever put the PP together hadn't updated the graphics, so the running motif was a cross against a stormy sky. Sigh.
 

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Posted by Net Spinster (# 16058) on :
 
Oddly enough for an atheist, I did go to Easter service (ELCA). Up early to walk to the sunrise service on a local hill (1.7 miles from the gate to the top of the hill which everyone[1] had to walk and another 2 miles for me to get to the gate). Pleasant walking along in the dark with the big dipper to the north and some promising clouds lit by the full moon to the west (we need rain). Arrived to find the minister and one of the musicians carrying a girl with her leg in a cast up the last fifty yards to the top. Turn out was a few dozen humans (cows have been known to show up also but not this year). No seats except for the musicians (the girl with the broken leg had brought a rug to sit on). Hats and mittens were offered to those who might need them (it was in the 40sF). Service started a bit after 6:30am and the optical effects were quite good (the incomplete rainbow that showed up in the west just after the sun rose and also just after someone had offered up a prayer for rain was especially impressive). Communion was with braided egg bread and a choice of champagne or sparkling grape juice (I didn't partake so can't comment on quality); the minister did at one point struggle a bit with breaking the bread when handing it out. Music was modern: accordion, flute, "Lord of the Dance". After walked back down, listening to the meadow larks. Refreshment was back at the church (fortunately got a lift from the gate to the church) which was various home made quiches, home made sweet breads, fresh fruit, hot oatmeal with a choice of trimmings. They then had their 10am service (music included a Bach cantata, Christ lag in Todes Banden); several people, former members, had traveled a distance specially to attend. We had a couple of rain showers after that service.

[1] Except the musicians, the minister, the interning seminarian, and one girl whose leg was in a cast who had the key to the gate and drove up.
 

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Posted by Spike (# 36) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Robert Armin:
Having had a whole string of very beautiful services for the past fortnight, sadly Easter was an anti-climax. The main fault lay with the Powerpoint, on which all the words for responses and hymns appear. Except the person working it kept falling asleep (I assume) so verses of hymns went unsung, prayers unsaid, as they only appeared after they had finished. And whoever put the PP together hadn't updated the graphics, so the running motif was a cross against a stormy sky. Sigh.

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That is God's way of telling you not to use Powerpoint in liturgy
 

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Posted by ThunderBunk (# 15579) on :
 
The reason for the PP failure is painfully obvious. It serves the other side: at last, the evidence I need.
 

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Posted by Barefoot Friar (# 13100) on :
 
A few hiccups at the 11:00 Solemn Eucharist, mainly due to young acolytes and servers forgetting what to do in the excitement of the day. One of my main ones upon whom I was depending came trooping in during the Gospel, long after the time by which I had warned them all to arrive.

But all in all the hiccups were just that: minor details no one but me noticed. It was a glorious day. BCP Rite II prayer B, a baptism, and a packed church. The 9:00 and 7:00 services were great also, but the 11:00 really was the climax for me.

I'm not going to do diddly squat today.
 

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Posted by Oscar the Grouch (# 1916) on :
 
Service on the beach, at 8:00. Would prefer to have it earlier, but we get a lot of people coming to this service who don't come at any other time of year and who are now accustomed to the place and time. If we changed either, the chances are that quite a few of them would fail to find out until it was too late. We had about 100 people there this year.

Trying to make yourself heard over the waves and the gulls is not easy, although I know that someone who lives not far away heard our singing as she was getting up. I have been told that once in the past a whale appeared in the waters. This year, we just had to make do with an inquisitive seal.
 

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Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
Skipped the formal program, went to the coffee, which was briefly attended by a few of the coffee regulars.

I was struck by the emotional complexity of holidays as we age. One friend with minimal income paid the high church price ($35 each, for a $6 plant) for Easter lilies for his wife's niche at the side altar; he said he was in tears at the familiar hymns because his wife (trained vocalist) loved to sing them and he missed hearing her sing.

I stayed to help the one gal doing all the cleanup, asked if she were joining family for Easter, thinking to invite her if she were alone. She started crying about her ex holding a secular drunken party every Easter, which is more appealing to the 30-something kids than sitting in church with Mom, but to her it's blasphemy. Ah, well, she wouldn't enjoy a gathering with my atheist friends at Easter, then.

One friend went home still unable to smile because of grieving his wife, the other went home alone grieving her kids and grandkids abandoning both her and God on Easter. I went to a bunnies and jelly beans party with a bunch of cheerful atheists.

Ah for the simple days of youth, when Easter was just fun, not a reminder of shattered dreams, fractured hopes, loves lost. Sort of ironic, isn't it!

We three will all be in a better mood next week.
 

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Posted by Al Eluia (# 864) on :
 
Easter services at our (Episcopal) church were great. At the vigil we had incense (yours truly was the thurifer), all nine readings, and a baptism. Afterward, as we always do after the Vigil, we had cake and champagne/sparkling cider.

Mrs. Eluia, who had stayed home Saturday night, and I both were at the 10 am service on Easter morning. We had another baptism, choral music with a brass quartet, and a great sermon by our new rector. She's only been with us since October so this was her first Easter at our parish. She had a red-and-gold chasuble that had previously belonged to our late former bishop who had joined our parish after his retirement. He never wore it with red high heels, though.

If anyone's interested here's a link to the Easter morning sermon: Easter sermon

What I especially loved about the two baptisms is that, while the one Sunday monrning was of the newest child in the congregation, the one at the Vigil was of a gentleman who's probably in his 60's, maybe 70-ish.

[ 06. April 2015, 17:36: Message edited by: Al Eluia ]
 

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Posted by Adeodatus (# 4992) on :
 
A small hospital chapel. Four in the congregation (cos the congregation are - y'know - ill). As is our custom, we do a cut-down version of the Vigil Eucharist on the Sunday morning - blessing of the candle, exsultet, a bare minimum of readings. Obviously we have to keep things brief (see above for reason).

And yet, a palpable thrill in the air. One of the congregation shedding a quiet tear as we sing "Thine be the glory" unaccompanied. Profoundly beautiful.
 

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Posted by Arethosemyfeet (# 17047) on :
 
Our Easter celebrations where a little tough going, due to a plane crash taking the lives of the daughter and son-in-law of one of our congregation on Holy Saturday, but we went ahead and spoke and sang about Christ's triumph over the grave. A lot of folk, including the minister, just barely holding it together.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Spike:
So how was it for you?

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Really rather good.

6 a.m. service ( ): 10 in the choir plus D., made a decent job of Merbecke and This joyful Eastertide; 11:00: full choir, Darke in F, Hallelujah Chorus, Cantate Domino by Pitoni and This is the day which the Lord hath made by some anonymous Tudor bloke; v. good sermon from the Bishop; Choral Evensong: 8 in the choir plus D., made a v. decent job of Sumsion in G and Come, ye faithful by Thatcher; v. good sermon from the Curate.

All in all, a good and joyful Eastertide.

[ 07. April 2015, 01:53: Message edited by: Piglet ]
 

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Posted by Badger Lady (# 13453) on :
 
It was lovely. Church was packed and latecomers were forced to sit in the upstairs gallery. Communion took a long time and was rather chaotic despite some gallant herding efforts by the side people. It was rather wonderful to see the long queue to receive.

During the communion the choir sang, amongst other offerings, ' 'Where you there when they crucified my Lord' by (I think) Whitburn. It was close harmony and gospel like but sung by a highly competent classical choir. It was amazing.

My only slight niggle was that the congregational hymns didn't allow for fully Easer joyful belting out. 'This joyful Eastertide' is always sung by the choir alone in a choral setting and the chosen hymns were not the most well known ones (no Thine be the Glory). Although I attend an Anglican church now I have Methodist routes and miss a 'proper' sing.

And it was announced that the curate had her baby on Easter Saturday (she went on maternity leave on Palm Sunday, not a moment too soon!) .
 

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Posted by Utrecht Catholic (# 14285) on :
 
I am wondering if it is appropriate to sing
Were you there when they crucified my Lord ,during
the Eucharist on Easterday.

It could be better sung on Palm Sunday or on Good Friday.
 

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Posted by Spike (# 36) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Badger Lady:

And it was announced that the curate had her baby on Easter Saturday

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quote:

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Originally posted by Utrecht Catholic:
I am wondering if it is appropriate to sing
Were you there when they crucified my Lord ,during
the Eucharist on Easterday.

It could be better sung on Palm Sunday or on Good Friday.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Utrecht Catholic:
I am wondering if it is appropriate to sing
Were you there when they crucified my Lord ,during
the Eucharist on Easterday.

It could be better sung on Palm Sunday or on Good Friday.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Badger Lady:
... no Thine be the Glory ...

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quote:

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Originally posted by Piglet:
I miss Thine be the glory - it's not in the hymn-book we use (The Book of Common Praise - Canada, 1938), which is rather a shame.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Spike:

quote:

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Originally posted by Badger Lady:

And it was announced that the curate had her baby on Easter Saturday

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How could that have happened? Easter Saturday hasn't happened yet. Has she got a time machine?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Badger Lady:

quote:

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Originally posted by Spike:

quote:

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Originally posted by Badger Lady:

And it was announced that the curate had her baby on Easter Saturday

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How could that have happened? Easter Saturday hasn't happened yet. Has she got a time machine?

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The Saturday before Easter. Is that not "Easter Saturday"? Although a time travelling curate would be even cooler than an Easter baby.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Barefoot Friar:
The legality due to copyright is a bit iffy, but it would indeed be the simplest course of action.

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That would seem a bit unlikely. The author of the words died in 1932, the translator in 1939 and the composer of the music in 1759.
 

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Posted by Rosa Winkel (# 11424) on :
 
Holy Saturday saw me going to Oświęcim, well in time for the first Mass of the Resurrection. It was my second time there for the service, there were more people this time (this increase in numbers was replicated at my local RC church in Wrocław for the Holy Thursday festivities).

It was a long do, even without baptisms or owt like that. The reading of the first lesson took ages due to every day being coupled with a sung piece. It started with the Pascal fire outside, procession inside, exultet, readings and all that. At the end of Mass the monstrance was taken outside around outside the church for a walk, accompanied by bells to keep the neighbours awake (it was past 11pm by then). This was preceded by a procession to the chapel downstairs to see the tomb empty, and a piece sung by a senoirs' choir.

Bizarrely, the whole thing (after the very long hymn that's always sung in Polish RC churches at that time, in my experience) was finished with Handel's Hallelujah Chorus sung in Polish, góralski style (with violin and acoustic guitar), with us of course all stood up.

The choir was not to my taste (some girls blaring away, well, the mike was too high) but it was a moving event. All in all it was moving to see so many people pray in the RC churches I went to over the Triduum.
 

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Posted by Rosa Winkel (# 11424) on :
 
I should say that Oświęcim is the place where the Nazis built the Auschwitz concentration camp, and the church I went to is dedicated to St. Maximilian Kolbe, who died there.
 

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Posted by Bishops Finger (# 5430) on :
 


What a wonderful way of marking the triumph of the Resurrection over the unspeakable evil of the Nazis........

Ian J.
 

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Posted by Circuit Rider (# 13088) on :
 
We had a wonderful day! My place is a happy-clappy joint but I pulled off a wonderful second service of BCP Rite II. Incense, grand hymns, 5 baptisms and 7 confirmations, Eucharist. Packed house. Glorious day!
 

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