Holy Week: Looking unto Jesus

Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Wednesday Report Card:
Youth Choir – B.
We did some work on the Three Days that was not in the direction I expected, but was good. Following up on a question, we spent more time on Holy Saturday's little one-page liturgy (BCP p. 283) than was fitting, but it satisfied one chorister's curiosity and perhaps opened the door a crack for others on this much-neglected service, and we talked about why there is no Eucharist that day, and no Reserved Sacrament between Wednesday night and the Great Vigil. This was good. We sang a lot, and with energy. Psalm 18 is making progress. The adult choir has a lot of trouble with this one; the manner in which God is portrayed is not very Episcopalian (e.g., “smoke rose from his nostrils and a consuming fire out of his mouth [v. 9]), and it is highly militaristic (“He trains my hands for battle and my arms for bending even a bow of bronze” [v. 35] and “I destroy those who hate me; they cry out, but there is none to help them” [v. 41]). The young people take all of this in stride without the slightest difficulty.

Adult Choir and Instruments – B plus?
I am comfortable with the manner in which we used our two hours for rehearsal. There was much that we did not get done – we did not so much as open the book for the Great Vigil Psalmody – but I think that we touched on all the things that most needed it. The Rutter piece went well. It is entirely too much fun to conduct such an ensemble and the sound of all those brass players and organ and choir in the room is spectacular. I remind myself that it is an expensive luxury; this one service will cost us near to $1,000. I must not become too enamored of such things. The two unaccompanied pieces that worried me? The one for tomorrow is in good shape; the one for Friday is shaky.

On to Thursday.

This day was not as frantic as Tuesday, but it was steady work all day long, most of it not properly my job, but necessary. All of a sudden, it was 5 pm with the choir warmup at 5:15 and the Divine Liturgy at 6:00. We sang well; the Liturgy was conducted with dignity, right down to the end, when the priests stripped the Sanctuary and the Holy Altar, washing it and marking the corners and center with the holy Chrism as we chanted Psalm 22. They departed, turning out the lights as they left, leaving only the two candles on the side altar with the Blessed Sacrament.

But it was not time for us lay folk to depart; a dinner had been part of the evening and there was cleanup to do. I did not stay to the end, but I did remain so long as I could be helpful.

It was a Good Day. I believe that today I helped my fellow-servants prepare for this night's heavenly Banquet, and I sensed its far-off glories at the end of the day as I partook of the Body and Blood of our Savior, and then sat with my friends at the dinner.

But we are just getting started; we must “run with patience.”

[to be continued]