Easter is coming... no matter what

Today is my 28th day at home. I have left two times - once to go for groceries, mail, and gas on Post and once to stop by a local market for fruit and vegetables. I wouldn't be surprised if it were another 28 days or more before our physical isolation procedures are relaxed. But we're OK.

I tried not to set too many unreasonable expectations for this time apart from my normal routine. I am walking more - 3-4 times per week. I am doing more meal planning - so that we can minimize the need to be in public spaces, where infection tends to spread. I have made progress on some knitting projects. I have sewn some cloth masks, as now required by our military community leadership.

And I have continued with many of my social activities, in virtual settings, which are not the same but have offered a respite from the social isolation I dreaded. Who knew that you could have meaningful Christian formation classes while sitting in the comfort of your own home? Or join in worship with people, far and wide? Even my knitting and crochet group meets online each week to share in conversation and progress of the various projects we have taken on. The only thing lacking in those encounters is the "squish" - there's nothing like the feel of soft, soothing yarn.

I've been sad to miss out on physical work with our Liturgical congregation. I miss our fellowship. I miss participating in the Eucharist each week, sharing together the bread and the cup.

But just because we're not worshiping at the chapel, doesn't mean we won't worship. Last week I felt the pull to my file box of previous liturgies. I remembered an Easter sunrise service from 1997, in Alton, IL, where we looked over the Mississippi River, recently ravaged by severe flooding, and gave thanks for the newness of the day and the presence of God in the midst of changing landscapes and circumstances. And I pulled out that liturgy and updated it for our present situations.

The liturgy is a mix of prayers, readings and scripture, with an Easter-centric rendering of the Creed. I have tried to give credit where I have been able to trace back to original sources... some of them are in boxes in a warehouse in Spokane, Washington... still waiting for us to return home. 




 Instead of printing the liturgy here, I have parked it as a file in my Dropbox account. You can download a copy from here. Feel free to print out a copy to use at home.

Sunrise is at 6:40am in Stuttgart on Easter, but our sky has been getting light around 6:00am. That's what time we are going to plan for, sitting in our dining room and looking to the horizon for the rising sun. And if we sleep in a little later and share in worship at 9:00am instead, it's all good.

Download here: Deb Teagan's Easter Sunrise Service - 2020

Peace, Deb