Easter Day @ 9:30 @ Christ Church & Eastingle

Easter Day starts around 5am, as we drag ourselves out of bed for the sunrise service. This year, as I have often done in the past, we joined the youth group 'sleep over' and headed for a high place, to worship our newly risen Lord in the early hours. By the time we arrived on the top of the hill the sun was coming over the trees. We were asked to face outwards (symbolic of what we should always do). A rabbit came out of a copse to take a look at us and ran away. We had a very short worship service, and went back to a local church member for breakfast, then home. A cold crisp morning, and slightly cloudy.

This is a picture of our back garden, after we returned from Church. You could not have expected this from the start of the morning.

As our vicar is still recovering the vicar from Emanuel Church came from to take holy communion. For many weeks now we have been planning the change of time (9:30am instead of 10:00am), to allow holy communion to be 'live' rather than by extension. As it happened, it worked very well, and I hope that it was enjoyed by all. I have to say though that it felt very strange taking over leading the service half way through. That started with a review of Good Friday and the Eastingle service. The English language is marvelous, there's always a word you can make for any occasion. Eastingle is an Easter version of Christingle, and orange with a red band around it and sweets and dried fruit attached with sticks. It reminds us that Christ died for the world. The Eastingle is a hot cross bun, with a straw and streamers, in three colours (red-for the crucifixion, purple-for royalty, white-for new life and purity) there's a bit more about it on our web site, or at least I hope there will be. So for those that weren't there on Good Friday, we revised the Eastingle idea, and used up the hot cross buns.
Then there was a sermon and prayers as usual, and the congregation worshiped the risen Jesus.

"Alleluia! Christ is Risen", I said loudly at the end, before the blessing.
"He is risen indeed. Alleluia!" they all responded, more loudly than I had expected.

A couple of pictures of Christ church at Easter


So far Easter Day is as it should be. Praise God.