The end of Holy Week was a wee bit unsatisfactory for me. Having been fitting things in whilst working in Embra (including deaconing on Maundy Thursday and preaching a bit of the 3 Hours on Good Friday), I took off to Rachel's on Saturday for a weekend together, me being off work. This mean we had to fit into other Holy Week patterns locally. The only Easter Vigil we could find suffered from one major problem - it was the 1st time they'd ever done it!! Shall we say the choreography was not of the standard I have grown used to in the Edinburgh Diocese? 3 out of 5 servers pointing the right way at the Gospel, 1 facing in - but not at the deacon and no 4 pointing east to the altar!!! It was like coming from Right Flank Company, 2nd Battalion the Scots Guards to the Home Guard, Walmington on Sea platoon! The chief choreographer was a cleric who bore a most startling resemblance both physically and vocally to Stephen Fry (I now have a fair idea what Mr Fry will look like when he's 70!) who rather cheered us up afterwards by wandering across the Green in a beanie hat singing "Alleluia!"!!! The deacon read well and with conviction but really should have put her little flashlight down before making liturgical gestures whilst proclaiming the Exsultet!! The mini searchlight effect was a tad distracting!
The slightly odd conflation of Easter Vigil (bits of) with Easter Day Eucharist at Eyemouth was also slightly unsatisfactory. Partly the hymns were dull, partly I had had no nicotine or caffeine before going to Church - therefore I was grumpy and critical. The people as ever were awfully friendly and welcoming. Next year I hope we shall be based in one place and stick with one systematic Holy Week. Still, Christ is risen and that's what matters. and I read ch 16 of the Screwtape Letters afterwards to remind myself that the finer points of liturgy and being critical thereof can be a barrier to openness in receiving the grace of God through public worship. So my self awareness wasn't entirely AWOL!
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