Easter morning 2010

This past week I have been away from my home church.  My holy week was not as routine as those in the past - band rehearsals, work the booth Maundy Thursday and Good Friday and back in the booth for at least one service on Easter morning.

Last Sunday we worshipped at the Greenvile Free Methodist Church in Greenville, IL.  Mickey soloed on Were You There (Moses Hogan arr) and the church did a re-enactment of the events of holy week.  I found myself visualizing the actual places in Jerusalem while the readings were read and it was a wonderful experience.  Although I didn't feel the Israel trip allowed enough time to sit and reflect at each place we visited it obviously left an impression on my subconscious.  It has been great to look back at the pictures I took while on the trip also.

On Maundy Thursday we worshiped at First United Methodist Church in Plant City, FL - Dave's church down here in Florida.  We ate a seder meal during a reenactment of the last supper.  I know our home church was planning a communion service in the round with dramatic readings and it was going to be on a grand scale technologically but I don't think that made this small church reenactment any less important.  Different people, different places, all worshiping the same God and celebrating his sacrifice for us.  Pretty amazing!

I have to admit this doesn't quite feel like Easter Sunday to me.  The family is split up - Dan is working at St. Peter's UMC in Blue Springs, MO so Kristi and Darcy drove there to spend the holiday with him and his friends.  Mickey is here in Florida with Dave and I and plans are to meet Devin & family at a restaurant about 85 miles from here for an early dinner.  That is the strange part for me.  Not having a home cooked meal and hanging around the house on Easter feels strange.  I know we ate at a restaurant together on Easter 2008 in Modling, Austria but it was a unique celebration that day.  This just feels odd to me. 

Oh well, with the kids going separate ways after this summer I will have to rethink what is normal on holidays for the future.  Right now I'm just going to concentrate on how blessed we are and pray that we will always find time to 'get together' even if it isn't on a holiday!