Dear Friends,
Let’s keep this short & sweet. After all, if you work in a church, you probably don’t have much time to read this and I do indeed work in a church, so it’s my crunch time, too. That being said, we are in one of those parts of the church year that is so quintessentially not of our typical calendars, and that can’t go without remarking.
In the life of the Church, we have so many unique ways of talking about time. There are all the unique seasons. There is Ordinary Time. There is the Kingdom of Heaven, which is already and not yet, all at once. And right now, we are in a kind of “almost,” a constant “soon.”
Jesus will soon be betrayed by his disciple, Judas.
Jesus will soon be denied by Peter.
Jesus will soon be taken before the tribunal and condemned to death.
Jesus will soon die on the cross.
Jesus will soon rise again in glory.
These great and many soons are right on the horizon. Jesus has not yet died, but in saying that, we recall that in some strange way we are also saying Jesus has already come again. This is the Circle of the Church Year. This is living out the landmarks of our faith as memorials. This is seeking to stand more deeply on a timeline that is not of this world.
As you prepare to mark these great days in your own community and family faith life, I encourage you to look back at the last few newsletters for ideas spanning this week. The only day left is Easter itself:
Do you use Resurrection Eggs? They can be a great way to help children understand the Easter story while also incorporating that more secular symbol - the egg. That being said, many people are troubled by some of the more violent images commonly used and the way they can emphasize Jesus’s death rather than his life. If that sounds like you, I recommend checking out Traci Smith’s alternative symbol set. Also presented in her recent book, "Faithful Families for Lent, Easter, and Resurrection,” these symbols move carefully through the scripture, moving through the fullness of what Jesus’s life means for us.
The calendars for major Western and Eastern Christian holidays don’t typically line up quite the same - this year, the Eastern Orthodox date for Easter falls on April 24. This is something I always try to note, but I think it’s something particularly worth paying attention to, and to put into conversation as we hold the attacks on Ukraine in our hearts. Consider reading Rechenka’s Eggs, which you can watch a read-aloud of here, which not only connects us to the wider Church community, but helps us to understand an important Ukrainian folk tradition, the making of pysanky. Older children may also enjoy looking more closely at these traditional designs. You can find more information about pysanky here and activities to accompany Rechenka’s Eggs here.
For everyone’s sanity, let’s assume you won’t hear from me next week, but I wish you a peaceful Holy Week & and an Easter filled with the light of Resurrection.
Peace,
Bird