He is Risen!

After feeling frustrated that our ward would not get to have its own Easter service today due to a big regional conference, I decided to take in an early service at another church. A lot of the VU clan is in town, and I was lucky that Jason & Becca got to stay at our house due to overflow of family at Dan & Marie's. So, Becca and I left Jason and AJ in charge of getting both dinner preparations underway and the kids to church so that we could head up to an amazing music church.

I should have gotten some sense of what their Easter program would be like since they have services every hour starting at 6 am and going to 1 pm. Once we got there, we parked on the street at the direction of the florescent vested police officer since the lot was filled. We walked in and were directed to the balcony--there were probably 300 people in total there and the nave was full. I got goosebumps and squeezed Becca's arm as we walked past the foyer and I noticed the men in choir robes holding trombones.

We had just sat down when chimes pealed out and the pastor called out "He lives! He lives! Shout the glorious word and let it echo around the world. Jesus Christ is Risen!" Then the trumpets and organ joined in a jubilant fanfare, followed by a joyful and vibrant organ introduction to a beloved Easter hymn--Christ the Lord is Risen Today. I could hardly sing for choking back the tears. We were accompanied by organ and brass. What a perfect way to rejoice in the message of hope found in the resurrection.

The sermon was simple and beautiful. focusing on the events of Resurrection morning and its implications for our lives. The pastor began:

The Easter message of Christ's victory over sin and death is at the heart of what we about at (this church). Easter is a season that gives purpose to all that we do in our congregation. Even Christmas, as wondrous and beautiful as it may be, tells only the beginning of the story. Christmas is a season of promise. Easter is a season of fulfillment. The heart of what we teach in our congregation is the story of Easter.

And then, he went on to say:

We know that Jesus is alive, for he comes to share life with us and give it purpose and dignity. He comes calling us by name saying, "Mary, go to my brothers and tell them that I am risen." "Thomas, look at my hands, put your hand in my side." "Peter, do you believe after all your denials? Go and feed my sheep." One by one, Jesus points to us and he enters our lives and he changes them... He is a living Christ who says I have come to be with you always.

The music was amazing. Just incredible. In addition to brass, there was a group of string players. And I cannot forget the amazing organist. The entire service was moving. I am going to return to this church with AJ and the kids on other holy days. It added a spiritual depth and a feeling of gratitude to my Easter.

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Babushka

This Christmas, we read our usual amount of books. Babushka by Sandra Ann Horn is one of my favorites. We found it last year, and this year the kids wanted to read it quite a few times.

We have read another couple of versions of this story. Traditionally, the character of Babushka refuses to go with the wise men because she can't leave her household to collect dust and cobwebs in her absence, but then she regrets her decision. So, she wanders after the wise men, but never finds the baby Jesus. Supposedly, she has continued to try to find the baby Jesus, leaving toys for all children because they might be him.

In Horn's version, she does end up finding him and Mary and Joseph, even though she has already given all her presents away. She is still obsessed with cleanliness and order, but is able to look past the general squalor of the stable when she meets baby Jesus.

I love the illustrations in this book. There are a couple of pages where Horn draws a sky full of angels, and I like the idea of the night sky illuminated by the angels that crowd to earth to announce his birth and to catch a glimpse of him.

I also heard a great interview with John Rutter, the director of the Cambridge Singers (a choir whose CDs are required Christmas listening in my house). When pressed for his favorite Christmas carol, he replies In Dulci Jubilo. "The legend goes it was sung by the angels on Christmas Eve and written down by a monk. If ever there was a carol that might have been sung by the angels, that would be it."

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Splendors of the Vatican

On New Years Eve, AJ and I got to go on a real date. Not one squeezed into a two hour block. Not a dinner and movie at our local mall. Thanks to grandparents in town, we went over the Minnesota History Center to see Splendors of the Vatican. On display were mosaics of the apostles, a compass Michalangelo used on the frescos of Sistine Chapel ceiling, several reliquaries, including one containing what is said to be bone fragments of St Peter, and many papal articles including the pastoral staff of Pope John Paul and the papal garb that Pope Benedict didn't choose (apparently three cassocks--is that what they are called?--are laid out for the new pope and whichever fits best is worn to greet the well-wishes at St Peter's, while the other two are stashed away at the Vatican). When we were in Italy three years ago, the Vatican was my most favorite site. I loved looking at the art, the Sistine Chapel was amazing, and St Peter's was awesome, in all that that word symbolizes. Someday, I want to go back to Rome on the off-est of the off season so that I can enjoy a bit more solitude in the Sistine Chapel rather than standing shoulder to shoulder with loads of other tourists.

There is something about the Catholic church that calls to me. The unbroken connection to the time of Christ, no matter what depravity and dark periods the church passed through, is powerful. The Catholic churches I have visited feel otherworldly--the Gregorian chanting of Vespers, the deep silence of stone walls, and the art portraying Jesus, Mary, and the Saints. While some people think they are creepy, I like the relics--like the bones of apostles, the finger of St Anthony in Padova, as well as other physical objects like the chains that Peter was supposedly held in. We also saw the Mandylion of Edessa at the museum, which was a cloth taken to Jesus for him to touch, in order that his power might be transferred to a sick individual for healing. He is said to have placed the cloth over his face, and when he pulled it away, an image of his face remained. It was preserved in ornate fashion, encapsulated in gold and jewels. Relics are venerated by believers because the holiness of the person is said to still reside in these bone fragments or objects that they touched. I like the idea of physical objects that connect me to someone who lived hundreds of years ago.

I also like the Catholic emphasis on Mary. While Mormons typically downplay Mary to some extent because we don't want people from other religions to think that worship her, I like seeing images of her and feeling the great respect and reverence that Catholics have for her. I like that there is a woman who is venerated, and yes, even worshipped. To me, the Catholics get closer to the idea of a sacred feminine than the Mormons do, because even though we profess belief in a Mother God, we never talk about her, never compose paintings of her, and are generally left to our own imagination about her characteristics.

I am also drawn to the Saints. Partly, it's the idea that good people can act as vessels of God's mercy and miracles. People who are canonized as saints enter into the Catholic fabric, and become bedtime stories for children and examples of moral behavior and discipleship that inspire followers. I must also admit that I love that women can be saints, that their stories too can be told and retold, and that their lives serve as inspiration. I have wanted for some time to learn more about the stories of the Catholic saints. I picked up a 2009 calendar of saints for my office, and am looking for some reading material to help me learn about them.

And after the museum, we shared a delicious meal at a Kurdish restaurant called Babani's. Ahh. It was so nice sitting there without the kids.

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