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Dear LFPPC Family,
For most of my time as a college student at Whitworth, I was a member of the campus worship committee. I think it was during my senior year that we planned the first Easter Vigil. An ancient practice of the church, the Vigil begins the evening before Easter and traces the history of biblical faith, from creation through the Exodus and the prophets, then the life and death of Jesus. The resurrection was celebrated just after midnight. Students processed to different sites around the campus to watch scenes from Scripture enacted in various ways. Princeton Seminary also held a Vigil during my time there. My last year, I donned the alb I’d purchased for my internship, stood on the small third floor balcony of my dorm, and held a flaming torch (really!), while playing the part of a prophet.
The Easter Vigil is the longest liturgy of the Christian year, lasting several hours. Few churches practice it. But that doesn’t mean we can’t embrace its spirit individually. The Vigil, of course, is for Jesus, commemorating the time he lay in the tomb. It’s a time to remember the price of his sacrifice, the cost of God’s love.
In the midst of your Saturday this week, whether that includes Easter egg hunts, preparing for Sunday’s guests, or coming to flower the cross, I invite you to take a moment for reflection. Just as Christmas hoopla can overwhelm the meaning of the Incarnation, Easter’s festivities can distract us from the significance of Christ’s death and resurrection. Take a moment to remember, and be thankful.
Then, come and celebrate Christ’s resurrection, with deep joy, on Easter Sunday.
Pastor Janet
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