The variety of services during this time was very moving and uplifting. In our house we started with a Julian meeting on Wednesday morning. Martin had gathered all the crosses in our house, a whole variety of different shapes, from the Palm cross to Celtic ones with the circle of the sun, a plain one and one with the figure of Jesus on it, and the colourful Franciscan one with Jesus looking straight at you. There were also an Egyptian one with the parts branching out symbolizing new life and a picture of an Armenian one branching out into the tree of Life. Each of us chose a cross and let God speak to us during twenty minutes of silence.
On Maundy Thursday, the day we remember Jesus’ last supper with his disciples, we met for the Tenebrae service in the choir stalls. Tenebrae means ‘darkness’. In the introduction Neal reminded us of how God reaches out to us in the darkness of our sin through Jesus. This was followed by the reading of the Passion in parts, from the Garden of Gethsemane, the arrest, the trial and crucifixion. After each part a candle on the altar was extinguished, symbolizing Jesus’ death. Then Neal closed the Triptych on the East wall and stripped the altar. The service ended in silence, and we left in silence.
For Good Friday Martin and I had chosen a meditative Taize service. We sat in a circle at the front. Apart from the opening hymn ‘When I survey the wondrous cross’, it was a service of Taize chants. By repeating the chants several times the words are meant to go from your head to your heart. ‘Stay with me, remain here with me, watch and pray’ was one of them After the reading of the crucifixion from John, we had five minutes of silence. I had spread out various pictures of the crucifixion on the floor together with the crosses we had used on Wednesday. We were invited to contemplate these during the silence. After intercessions each person lit a candle and placed it on the big wooden cross laid out on a table in the middle. Again the service ended in silence.
We did not meet on Holy Saturday
On Easter Sunday early risers were welcomed to church by the delicious smell of bacon sandwiches. Then the church erupted in joy. ‘Jesus Christ is risen today, hallelujah.’ The sun was streaming through the windows, and there was great celebration. I was very much aware that it was exactly a year since my operation, and heaven has come very near. Our Christian faith that the risen Christ is always close to us, is utterly precious.
Madeleine
St Hilda's Church, Halifax 