Good evening, my little pysankies.
Just checking in.
I took two walks today and drank lots of water. I thought about God and Jesus. I worked on things. I picked up groceries and cleaned the cat box. I tweeted Holy Saturday.
Now I am tired and ready for bed. Because life worked out nicely, I will actually get to bed by 10 PM. Milagro!
In order to have a nice, happy thing to think about while I’m falling asleep, I’m going to figure out what I’m going to wear tomorrow, from earrings to shoes. I did a nice moisturizing facial masque last night.
Last Sunday was actually way, way busier and more demanding than this one will be, so all is pretty well with my soul. My music director and I went over everything in very careful detail, and the only thing I didn’t do is get readers. I am very blessed with excellent readers who don’t mind being asked on Sunday morning. LUCKY, I know. Nothing is complicated so they’ll be awesome. The service should be beautiful and deep, and joyous. That’s the plan. That’s the hope.
I did want to mention one thing.
When I got to my new congregation three years ago, I told them that I was seriously allergic to lilies, which I am. Bringing in a ton of lilies for Easter Sunday was a huge tradition in my former congregation and I used to bring an asthma inhaler, take two hits right before going into the sanctuary and hope for the best. I was wheezy and terrified of losing my voice or breath but I soldiered through it rather than try to change the tradition. I just didn’t want to make anyone mad. Same thing for Advent, as pine needles make me itchy and asthmatic.
You know what I know now?
THAT’S UTTERLY RIDICULOUS!! THAT IS CRAZY! WHAT WAS I THINKING??
No one should have to tolerate working conditions that literally make them sick, and that goes for ministers, too! I don’t care WHAT the tradition is! If it makes you asthmatic or itchy or stuffy, for God’s sake tell your people and let them exhibit Christian compassion and come up with an alternative!!! We don’t need any 21st century martyrs, kids! Seriously! As St. Dolly would say, “Get off the Cross, we need the wood!”
When I moved to my new congregation I told them that I am totally allergic to lilies and you know what they did? They all (staff and parishioners) immediately said, “Oh my Gosh, well, then we will make sure we don’t have them in the building” (it’s not exaggerating to say that even walking by a lily in bloom make me cough and wheeze). And that was that. I was so sheepishly grateful, like a grateful little sheep. I wondered why I hadn’t spoken up earlier.
There’s a lesson there for ya: why do we tolerate stuff we would never expect anyone else to endure? Badinkulous.
So now we decorate the sanctuary and foyer with daffodils and tulips and it’s not at all a sacrifice or even a major accommodation.
I tweeted back and forth with a minister last night and she said she was allergic to lilies but that her congregation was determined not to abandon their cherished tradition of having them at Easter. I wrote to her, “Shame on them,” and I mean it. Why is tradition more important than your minister’s ability to breathe?
You all deserve the care of your congregations. God knows you give enough of it. Sometimes we have to pipe up and remind folks that if tradition is literally making us sick, it’s time to find new ways to do church.
Have a deep rest tonight, special blessings to those who will be up late leading the Vigil (do you guys do the keys rattling thing? That always cracks me up — it’s like a football game) or waking at the butt crack of dawn to lead a sunrise service. Have a big coffee and fake it ’til you make it, lovelies.
See you on the flip side of the Resurrection.
There is reason why we hear “Christ is risen, the clergy are dead”.
This has been my best Holy Week in 8 years. I’m in a new congregation who “get” the sanctity of Holy Week. There are things that must get done and then there’s stuff that can wait. Many parishioners have seen me at the church or out and about and they all ask how I’m doing. It’s wonderful to be supported and to recognise that we, as clergy, should be supported.
We had 10 services over 8 days. It was a lot of work. It was absolutely glorious. I loved every moment of it, in no small part to the army of folks who were there to get things done, sometimes with no idea of why. Now that the week is ended, there’s a little more understanding of why it’s done.
I loved them up this morning…I thanked them…I told them “they got it” because they did.
And I preached a resurrection homily that I wasn’t happy about, and yet received a ton of positive feedback. Our God is an awesome God.
One more service this afternoon at the Nursing Home and then nap time.
Blessings on your ministry. I hope you get some down time this week.
Before I arrived at my current congregation, the pastor was allergic to lilies. The graceful solution was to use tulips, hyacinths, and pansies. My contribution to the garden was to add a display of mission support silk flowers–the contributions go directly to our missionary in Singapore.
Our week was low key and smooth-running, even with the extra Holy Week services. An army of volunteers took care of the breakfast we offer between services, everyone did their assigned tasks, our readers were prepared, and the weather was glorious!
The office will be closed Monday. Tuesday morning my administrative assistant and I do a debriefing over good coffee, bagels and fresh fruit.
He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Those blessed men and women who stand ready with friendly faces to greet and the know-how to light really good Vigil fires, with the ability and willingness to step in when others simply can’t make it- wonderful. Easter Sunday the power went out in our community so we had Easter “un-plugged” all the special graphics (no projector) and music (no organ) weren’t really missed- we all belted out our joy and even if we never did get the 3rd line in the offertory hymn right it truly didn’t matter- we all felt gathered and part of a movement oriented toward love. The candles on the altar and the paschal candle provided all the light we needed. Amen Alleluia!
Growing up Easter Lilies were the bane of my existence. In the quietness of the service, I would sneeze giant, snot-filled cannons throughout the service. I would always run out of tissues before the homily started. Now as a pastor, I find myself in a church where lilies are the tradition. While it does not completely fix my allergies, I find that cutting out the pollen filled stamen reduces my urge to sneeze. My wonderful secretary does this even before I see the flowers. It has helped me tremendously with the Easter morning sneezing. Perhaps for those churches who refuse to change tradition, perhaps they will consider this small alteration.