Hi Triduumites!
My blessings for grace, beauty, preparedness, stamina and good humor go with you as you count ’em down for Mr. Jesus.
Remember the restaurant kitchen worker’s motto: “You have to slow down to speed up.”
DO. NOT. RUSH.
You can’t think when you’re frantic.
You don’t breathe when you’re frantic.
Be calm, take a moment to get your thoughts together and consider your words before you open your mouth. Remember that we never get credit on earth for the spiritual discipline of not TOTALLY LOSING IT, but God sees and God knows. And God knows you’re going to be so glad when you don’t TOTALLY LOSE IT although you’re sorely tempted to let the true opinions fly about what went wrong in the preparations for these many worship services.
It’s a trying time. In your most exhausted moments you want to whine, “Just because God did a miracle over two-thousand years ago doesn’t mean I’m capable of doing a miracle today of keeping my sanity doing four big special worship services in three days!”
Have a smoothie, rub your feet, take a cat nap.
Breathe, and slow down, and take a Q-tip and clear the crusties and smudged mascara from under your eyes. Put your shoulders back, chin up, and get out there.
We’ll have a Whine, Wine and Check-In on the other side of the Resurrection.
Kiss of peace, PB
Amen, and amen. These are the most beautiful days of the year. Slow and steady. The race is already won. Always a joy and privilege to celebrate yet again.
For us, the Triduum caps off the end of Holy Week that has had a service a day. Usually the bulletins are all done in advance, including Easter Day. The Commissioning service is prepared and we are raring to go. This year I sprained my ankle and lost my mojo. So the Triduum bulletin didn’t get done until Tuesday in Holy Week *gasp*. And I realised, that absolutely nobody will care, other than me.
Every day this week I have arrived at the Church an hour before service time and taken 15 minutes to check that everything is where it needs to be. Then I sit, eyes closed, ankle propped, and spend 30 minutes in silence. And not a soul disturbs me.
The blessing of this Holy Week has been that I have literally slowed down. There is no rushing anywhere because it hurts too much. And so I pace myself, rest myself, care for myself as I care for my people.
Clean face, clean hair, clean body, clean soul. Shoes shined, suits pressed, collar scrubbed and ready to take on Holy Week.
Tonight is our Easter Vigil service which is a lot of fun. And a lot of movement. The parade will move a little slower tonight. And that’s okay.
See you on the other side of the resurrection!
My mantra this week is “Jesus will get raised no matter what I do or don’t do.”