The great thing about Anglican churches (or following the liturgical calendar) is that we celebrate SIX weeks of Easter. SIX weeks to ponder the mystery of Christ's work. All stops are out with this post, please enjoy my photo essay of how we began the celebration on Easter Sunday:

First things first ... Indian buffet for brunch.



Demolished. A meal fully enjoyed. I ate too much fennel at the cash register.

Then, afternoon church and potluck.










Easter was full of arrival, fun, love, and hospitality.
I will always remember singing at the top of my lungs with Nate after offering prayer ministry.
We both just shook and smiled and knew God was with us.

I live a very ordinary life.
I have a small apartment,
I take public transportation,
I eat my fruits and veggies,
my uniform is jeans and a v-neck,
I read books,
I work hard,
I save my money,
I have a husband and someday hope to have kids.

These ordinary things,
are extraordinary to me.

This is what liturgy has taught me:

an ordinary slice of bread, an ordinary cup of cheap wine, can become a sacrament of divine celebration and mourning all at once. 

The Jews hung an ordinary curtain to symbolize God's presence and Jesus tore through it. Just ordinary cloth.

Our apartment is a home, filled with love and sunshine.
I get a glimpse of my neighbors' souls when we ride trains and buses together.
Fresh produce replenishes my skin and bones, my entryway to the tangible world.
Someone far away made my clothes, we are connected, and for that I wear them reverently.
Comprehending the written language connects me to history and the yet to be.
My job forces me to interact with people daily, something I might otherwise struggle with.
Money can be used for awesome things, like funding schools and building sanctuaries.
Marriage affords me the incredible journey to selflessness, and an opportunity to be sanctified every day.

Good grief sometimes I can't take it!

"We might even suggest, as a part of a Christian aesthetic, that the world is beautiful not just because it hauntingly reminds us of its creator but also because it is pointing forward: it is designed to be filled, flooded, drenched in God." NTWright

      Mourning the murder of Jesus, and celebrating His resurrection should take more than 3 days. At least I think so. That's why I observe lent. Either by taking on a new spiritual discipline, or deciding to fast from something, the hope is that each day leans a little stronger in the direction of anticipation.


That's what I've learned in liturgy; anticipation. In all things, at all times.
Contentment for now, and anticipation in the bigger picture.


      My Lenten devotional reading today was that horrible story from Genesis 39.
      

      I really don't like this story because I despise blackmail and lying. I despise evil tainting what is good. While lamenting this story, it was revealed to me that this is the story of man. This is the story of the garden of Eden and this story continues today!


      In the beginning, God created people and gave them dominion over the earth to care for it and make culture. God gave them everything they needed and more. Yet, evil still found a way to dangle in front of their eyes the one thing people couldn't have (for God decided it was not good.) And that is what happened to Joseph. His master entrusted everything to him, yet evil still found a way to tempt him.


      In the present, God's people have grace and forgiveness (everything we need) and we have spiritual authority. Our master has entrusted much to us. Yet, evil still finds a way to dangle before us the things God has decided are not good for us. Often, we say yes to those things and hurt ourselves.


      It sounds crazy in this light, in light of history and seeing all we've been given. 
Why in the world would we say yes to what evil tries to offer us, when the Creator of Good has already given us everything we need?! We are bizarre. I am bizarre.


      In this day, I am realizing much of life is heavy on what we say "yes" to, and to what we say "no." I am seeing a theme of authority in all of this; God's authority, our authority, and evil's fake authority. Evil is what tries to convince us that what God has entrusted to us is not enough; it offers us the exact opposite of what we need.


      Jake and I are fasting from music this lent. Music is good, God loves music, but Jake and I often use it to distract ourselves and fill space. This lent, we are saying "no" to distraction and mindlessness, and "yes" to prayerful attention to how the Spirit is moving.


( PS: If I were listening to music these days, it would be this: http://www.myspace.com/allthebrightlightsmusic )

An Advent for Kelsey
Beginning the second Sunday of Advent

Meet my friend Kelsey. What I love about our friendship is that we get right down to the core of things. Kelsey and I talk faith. I love to hear about her thoughts and experiences. When Jake and I were in Michigan for Thanksgiving, we went to church with her, and her man Nick. (So sorry I'm not photogenic, Kels). Their church would not be categorized as worshiping in a liturgical style--but I have noticed their observance of some liturgical seasons. It's really beautiful. Clearly I don't think we are mandated to worship in one way or another, but celebrating the church calendar and daily liturgy adds a richness to my faith that I wish more friends could experience. It's cool to see how different churches incorporate liturgy in their own way.

Moving right along ... last Sunday Kelsey's pastor gave a beautiful talk about seasons being the rhythm God designed to bring music into our life. I whispered that Advent is my all-time favorite season and Kelsey asked why.

1. The most basic reason is because celebrating the birth of Jesus means so much more to me when I take a whole month to anticipate it. When I look at the need for a Saviour in our world. A whole month of longing ends in the bright coming of a King!

2. Also, Advent is a breath of fresh, spiritual air when folks are burdened by the unnatural, commercial stretching of Christmas.


It got me thinking. People love to count down to things. Religious or not. And for anyone who celebrates Christmas, isn't most of the excitement in the counting down of days?

When Jake and I read the Bible together, we use this book. It teaches us how to incorporate the church calendar and seasons of liturgy into our daily life. I'm incredibly thankful for the daily meditations and thoughts the books lends. So I'd like to just share one with you right now, from page 54:

" Week Two of Advent, beginning the Sunday between December 4 and 10

We lament the sin and suffering in the world. We repent of any part we play in it. And then we exercise hope. 

Romans 8:22-25

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. "

It is evident that the season is upon us. Happy Advent!

we've really got to celebrate life more

... because yesterday was so much fun, because the tomb was EMPTY, and because I truly don't believe our culture celebrates enough.

Here is Jake in his Easter best, on our way to church. (He thinks this is a funny picture but I adore it!)

Here is nearly half of our dear, dear church. Sometimes we're slow to start the service because we just really like to relax and enjoy each other's presence.

Here is my friend Sarah who spent her first Easter with us. I couldn't be more thankful!

And this is our new reminder of the season. In older Christian worship, called liturgy, Easter is more than just one day, it is a season. (The same with Christmas!)

So now that Lent is over for us, Jake and I are trying to observe Easter by placing a life-giving reminder around home. I wanted a symbol to put by our door so we could be sent out each day with a reminder of the season.

So last night when the altar bouquet was up for grabs -- somewhere between singing, eating too much and belly laughs -- I seized that blessing!

Those branches were fillers too beautiful to throw away so I mounted them on the wall with a nail and a twist-tie. Constantly seeing them has already made a huge difference for me.

Here is the bouquet. I didn't have a vase big enough so I had to take some of the branches out -- not sure where I'll put them yet -- and I put the flowers in our biggest French press.

*

I have high hopes for this week. I have eliminated the 's' word (stress) from my vocabulary and I am armed with a schedule to conquer these last few weeks of school. Also, I just found out that there will be a farmers market on our street every Sunday this summer! And did I mention the tomb was empty? What more inspiring things could fill a lady's heart?

The holidays are...

for listening to Christmas music? No.

for hibernating inside and baking? No.

for giving gifts and being nice? Wrong again.

for spending time with family and loved ones? No.

How odd that every year at this time

people ask the question, "What is the

true meaning of Christmas?"

Let's break it down,

Christ = Jesus!

mas = a church service/feast.

I may be stating the obvious, but it dawned

on me the other day how difficult it must be

for those who celebrate Christmas without

celebrating the birth of Jesus.

No wonder people become so weary and

jaded of the season.

Even Christians tire of the holiday, and I

think it's because we put too much weight

on the accessories of the season (the lights,

the music, the goodwill to all.)

Christmas, after all, is only one day. And

we often try to make it last for a month.

Advent, however, is the ancient season

that truly leads up to Christmas day.

Advent is a time to recognize our dire

need for Jesus to come. We meditate on

the joy that He will come. Then, when

Christmas day arrives, we can welcome

it and be glad because we've longed for

that day for four weeks.

I am learning a lot about advent this

year. I recommend it to everyone.

Now, incase you thought I was a grump

and that I don't like any of those things

that I first listed:

And it just wouldn't be right to end this post without giving credit to Luke, because without his story of Jesus, we wouldn't even have Christmas to begin with. (None of the other authors mentioned how or when Jesus was born.)

"So the shepherds hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told to them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."

Luke 2:16-20

Thank you, Luke!