Alleluia!

We had our Easter sunrise service on the land donated for Saint Middle School's church building. It'll be a while before we're ready to build, but it was wonderful having the first-ever service on the land...but oh, my goodness, it was cold! When I got out to the site to help set up our "church in a box" at 6:45 am, it was 32 deg F. The vicar and I were stylishly togged out in our cassocks, our matching black wool coats on top of the cassocks, and our white surplices on top of that...plus black gloveswhich we wore for the whole service except for communion. I had my nice warm winter boots on - a good idea, since it was a bit of a hike up the hill and through the brush to get to our stone cross. No hats, though...should have thought of that. A brief Eucharist - 24 minutes in all - followed by hot coffee, mimosas (I love being an Episcopalian) and doughnuts. By then, the sun had risen high enough that we 24 hardy souls could fool ourselves into believing we were warm.

After that, and a quick second cup of coffee from the coffee shop nearby, we went to Saint Middle School's usual location for a more traditional, and considerably longer, Easter Sunday service. All time high in attendance - 200 at the 10 am. Gee, if we could have those numbers every Sunday, we'd be ready to think of building! The service was followed by a potluck brunch and an Easter Egg hunt, and then the long drive home.

I celebrated the completion of my first Easter week assisting as seminarian in Field Ed by taking a hot bath, to get the last chill out of my bones. Time for a nap! Alleluia!