Tell me about your Easter worship service

and I'll tell you about mine.

I go to a UCC Church which has two services- the 9am is more traditional and the 11am is more contemporary. There's a live band three Sundays out of four, and they play a mix of contemporary and traditional music. There is a young female minister (a mother of three) who leads worship and gives the sermon. I like all these things, but also that the dress is fairly casual so I can take my dog for a long walk first and not have to come back home and spend an hour getting all dressed up before Church! I had been away from Church for a few years and started going back last fall.

There's a moment early in the service where we "pass the peace" and greet the other parishoners... this can go on for a very long time. (Today I actually met someone who works at the same place I do during the passing of the peace!) The music today included Louis Armstrong's "Wonderful World" and "Walking on Sunshine" among others, like "Christ the Lord is Risen Today". The sermon was based on the story of the empty tomb and the amazement of the women who came to grieve and found out that Christ was risen. Very positive, hopeful, and inspiring for me.

:hi:

...I say to myself, wow, what a beautiful morning! And then I think of all the poor folk who had to get all dressed up today.

and entertaining. My father and I happened to pull into the parking lot at the same time as my aunt and uncle. So we stood with them during the service because there were elevendy-billion people in the church. Then the priest came out and after we finished singing the hallelujah, he was like "Wait...wait! Lets do it again" I swear he was in Up with People before becoming a priest. Then he sang a few bars of "Fame" to begin his sermon (which was about living forever in Heaven). Then he made a joke about "granny" being up in Heaven having a conversation with St. Anthony asking how he always knew where her keys were which just cracked me up. But it was a good service, very quick (only 50 minutes) because they had to clear the church for the 12pm mass.

and sat down at my desk.

haven't looked outside yet, but it's marquette, i won't see much but snow.

and our dorm house is having dinner later. all in all, a good day.

*shrug*

"because it was there!" *points heroically at towering post*

:D

ps, i am a complete smartass. :spank:

...especially on Easter, maybe you shouldn't post something like this that invites those comments.

I'm a Christian, and I get frustrated with people here telling me I'm being duped, that I'm less intelligent for believing in God. But I'll tell you what - two of the threads today that contained those kinds of comments were originally started by you.

they attended today. If people don't attend worship, they should respectfully not reply.

There are a huge number of anti-religion posts here in the lounge every day that I ignore.

"But I'll tell you what - two of the threads today that contained those kinds of comments were originally started by you."

I would NEVER post something that tells people who believe in God that they are being duped, or that they are less intelligent for believing in God. Are you seriously blaming me for the responses to my posts instead of making the authors of those posts responsible for their own words?! That is the most bizarre thing I've ever heard.

I am really really really really really frustrated with what people have been saying about religion. I feel mocked. By people I love and respect. My reaction has been to try to stay away from GD ignore it, but then it seems like every half hour or so someone else starts another religion thread in the lounge.

I'm sorry if what I wrote made you feel like I was blaming you. I shouldn't have said anything.

beginning with acclamations from the bishop, a full procession with banners and candles, and a brass quintet with the organ. The sermon was about ways in which we figuratively "rise from the dead" and how quasi-deaths, such as great disappointments, can be the beginnings of new ways of life. (A few dozen people, including one of the priests, ducked out early in order to make their flight to Scotland, where they're going to visit Iona, Lindisfarne, and other sites important to Celtic spirituality.)

We in the choir sang two anthems, one of which was a grand English cathedral-style barn burner with organ and brass, and the other of which was based on a medieval manuscript with a medieval-sounding tune, sung a capella.

Communion took forever, because the church was packed.

Between services was a potluck brunch, featuring everything from ham to bagels.

We choir members are going back at 4PM for an Evensong. Then, for me, it's off to my mother's house for Eastern dinner.

I went for a walk in the park.