Special joys this Easter: an adult baptism at the Easter Vigil, and two children of riper years during the 10 am Mass this morning. But I begin to dread slightly the physical marathon of the Triduum, beautiful though it is.
Because of age and arthritis, at Maundy Thursday I washed only six feet, feeling a fraud because the real servants of the people of God were the holy women who had spent many hours in church getting everything ready and would spend many more hours over the weekend doing the same.
There was a packed church on Good Friday, a witness to the faith of many, and also demonstrating a penitential sensibility that perhaps we clergy are strangely slow to recognise, perhaps too easily intimidated by accusations of religion causing guilt. The Vigil on Saturday evening only about 100 people, and so long and complicated that I got a couple of things wrong.
Tiredness was setting in this morning and we had a comedy of errors at the 8.30 am – someone leaving afterwards said that she preferred it that way because it made everybody more human. At the 10, a full church and a woman’s cell phone went off three times. She was a senior and grappled with it trying to switch it off and never quite succeeding. Overall, many people, great sense of devotion, they as usual inspiring me. But, but …. I was very tired by lunchtime. Parishioners carried me off to lunch by arrangement. A happy lunch which even a roof-of-the-mouth-scorching fish dish (Caribbean cuisine) did not spoil. Then home and to bed to snooze for the rest of the afternoon.
Sunrise celebration with friends on top of some sand dunes this morning (cold and windy – we got covered with sand! – but had a great time)
Then later, attended the expat church in the city where I work. Mostly West Africans and so VERY lively.
Skyped with my brother back in the States this afternoon…
In case you’d all like a taste of some of the African French worship choruses we sang, here are a couple of videos I found on You Tube of some of the songs we sang. (quality isn’t great, but you do get a good sense of what W. African worship is like – drums, dancing, lots of joy!)
[b]1. Galilee / Victoire Alleluia[/b] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ayr0q9WsTYM
this one is a very popular song we sing a lot, not just at Easter, but it is THE quintessential West African Easter song!
Translation:
Victory, Alleluia
Sing, Cry for Joy!
Jesus Christ has exited the tomb! [repeat]
Galilee, Galilee, Galilee
I come from Galilee [i][sometimes when we sing this, we all shout out the countries or cities we come from… instead of singing “Galilee”][/i]
Jesus charged me to tell all His brothers
He is resurrected!
Alleluia Oh…. Jesus saved me (repeat…)
Jesus loves me, this I know
He sought me and He found me
My Savior redeemed me
and He gave me salvation
[Alleluia Oh…]
My sins are pardoned
Jesus has borne them all.
The blood of Christ washed me,
The Son of God saved me.
[Alleluia Oh…]
Jesus wants to free you
He died for you too
Give Him all your heart
and He will give you salvation
[Alleluia Oh]
There is no one like Jesus
Among the gods
No one is comparable to Jesus
Of all the sons of men
I searched everywhere
No one like him
I searched, Here and there
No one No one
I turned and turned
In the whole world
There’s nobody like him.
He is the son of the living God
Came from heaven to earth.
Word of God became flesh,
To enlighten the world.
Rejected, crucified, He is risen
His name is Jesus The King of Kings
I did the usual for Holy Week I went to Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday services. I also had an Easter event on Saturday. What was different is I rented a car for the weekend because my truck is on its last legs; head gasket among other things. I do not have any family nearby so I am by myself. This year instead of cooking myself an Easter feast, I took the opportunity, to drive down to the Oregon coast for the rest day called mom from the coast, and had my Easter Sunday Dinner in Seaside. It was the first time since 2008 I have a auto I could drive further than Portland city limits.
While heading out for Easter Breakfast I had a twinge of sadness realizing that in many churches, liberal and seeker sensitive will not hear the wonderful news of the Gospel this Easter. I say this as one who came out of the vision casting seeker sensitive movement back to Anglicanism.
No kids at home for us this year, just the two parents, worshipping at Christ Saint Paul’s this morning, end enjoying the sun and the four dogs in the afternoon. We are both completely exhausted.
I had forgotten that the West African experience is likely to be Francophone. In Cairo the African expats we worshipped with were English speakers. I can read and understand it, but at this point would not attempt to write it. The English-speaking Africans I knew were, like these French speakers, very enthusiastic and expressive in their faith.
With my church family this morning, and then a quiet day at home to enjoy spring.
Easter blessings to Dr. Harmon and his family and all readers of this blog.
Special joys this Easter: an adult baptism at the Easter Vigil, and two children of riper years during the 10 am Mass this morning. But I begin to dread slightly the physical marathon of the Triduum, beautiful though it is.
Because of age and arthritis, at Maundy Thursday I washed only six feet, feeling a fraud because the real servants of the people of God were the holy women who had spent many hours in church getting everything ready and would spend many more hours over the weekend doing the same.
There was a packed church on Good Friday, a witness to the faith of many, and also demonstrating a penitential sensibility that perhaps we clergy are strangely slow to recognise, perhaps too easily intimidated by accusations of religion causing guilt. The Vigil on Saturday evening only about 100 people, and so long and complicated that I got a couple of things wrong.
Tiredness was setting in this morning and we had a comedy of errors at the 8.30 am – someone leaving afterwards said that she preferred it that way because it made everybody more human. At the 10, a full church and a woman’s cell phone went off three times. She was a senior and grappled with it trying to switch it off and never quite succeeding. Overall, many people, great sense of devotion, they as usual inspiring me. But, but …. I was very tired by lunchtime. Parishioners carried me off to lunch by arrangement. A happy lunch which even a roof-of-the-mouth-scorching fish dish (Caribbean cuisine) did not spoil. Then home and to bed to snooze for the rest of the afternoon.
Easter greetings to all: the peace of Christ.
Sunrise celebration with friends on top of some sand dunes this morning (cold and windy – we got covered with sand! – but had a great time)
Then later, attended the expat church in the city where I work. Mostly West Africans and so VERY lively.
Skyped with my brother back in the States this afternoon…
In case you’d all like a taste of some of the African French worship choruses we sang, here are a couple of videos I found on You Tube of some of the songs we sang. (quality isn’t great, but you do get a good sense of what W. African worship is like – drums, dancing, lots of joy!)
[b]1. Galilee / Victoire Alleluia[/b]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ayr0q9WsTYM
this one is a very popular song we sing a lot, not just at Easter, but it is THE quintessential West African Easter song!
Translation:
Victory, Alleluia
Sing, Cry for Joy!
Jesus Christ has exited the tomb! [repeat]
Galilee, Galilee, Galilee
I come from Galilee [i][sometimes when we sing this, we all shout out the countries or cities we come from… instead of singing “Galilee”][/i]
Jesus charged me to tell all His brothers
He is resurrected!
[b]2. Alleluia Oh, Jesus m’a sauvé[/b]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZpGKwBd2Ps
(apologies that the video is so poor. I can’t find any others of this song…, it gets better after a minute or so)
Alleluia Oh…. Jesus saved me (repeat…)
Jesus loves me, this I know
He sought me and He found me
My Savior redeemed me
and He gave me salvation
[Alleluia Oh…]
My sins are pardoned
Jesus has borne them all.
The blood of Christ washed me,
The Son of God saved me.
[Alleluia Oh…]
Jesus wants to free you
He died for you too
Give Him all your heart
and He will give you salvation
[Alleluia Oh]
3) Il n’y a personne comme Jesus (There is no one like Jesus)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LqDjksrbWw
There is no one like Jesus
Among the gods
No one is comparable to Jesus
Of all the sons of men
I searched everywhere
No one like him
I searched, Here and there
No one No one
I turned and turned
In the whole world
There’s nobody like him.
He is the son of the living God
Came from heaven to earth.
Word of God became flesh,
To enlighten the world.
Rejected, crucified, He is risen
His name is Jesus The King of Kings
Enjoy!
Merci beaucoup, Karen. Je regardais avec joie profonde ces chantes en video. Quel témoin à la foi.
Marcel Boungou m’a fait penser de Youssou N’Dour. Peut-être il y à une tradition culturelle Sénégalaise ici?
I did the usual for Holy Week I went to Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday services. I also had an Easter event on Saturday. What was different is I rented a car for the weekend because my truck is on its last legs; head gasket among other things. I do not have any family nearby so I am by myself. This year instead of cooking myself an Easter feast, I took the opportunity, to drive down to the Oregon coast for the rest day called mom from the coast, and had my Easter Sunday Dinner in Seaside. It was the first time since 2008 I have a auto I could drive further than Portland city limits.
While heading out for Easter Breakfast I had a twinge of sadness realizing that in many churches, liberal and seeker sensitive will not hear the wonderful news of the Gospel this Easter. I say this as one who came out of the vision casting seeker sensitive movement back to Anglicanism.
Hi Terry,
Nice to know there’s at least one other French speaker who reads T19 and enjoyed the links I posted! Glad they encouraged you. Yes, I see the parallel between Marcel Bongou and Youssou N’Dour. I’d never heard of Marcel Boungou before. Youssou N’Dour and also Baaba Maal are the two West African musicians I know best. I enjoyed downloading some of Marcel Boungou’s music last night…
A blessed Eastertide to you!
Il est ressuscité!
No kids at home for us this year, just the two parents, worshipping at Christ Saint Paul’s this morning, end enjoying the sun and the four dogs in the afternoon. We are both completely exhausted.
I had forgotten that the West African experience is likely to be Francophone. In Cairo the African expats we worshipped with were English speakers. I can read and understand it, but at this point would not attempt to write it. The English-speaking Africans I knew were, like these French speakers, very enthusiastic and expressive in their faith.