Holy Week Part 4 Easter Sunday

We woke up to a beautiful day here in Utah. Getting dressed up in our Easter finery, we headed to Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church for an Easter breakfast sponsored by their youth. We arrived about 9:45 and were the last to eat. As we walked up to the building we saw older youth hiding Easter eggs around the property. The dining area was pretty empty as we entered their basement hall, as many families had gone up to watch the egg hunt.

We visited with a Mom who was grabbing a quick breakfast before choir rehearsal. She needed to gather the youth who were joining the regular choir for this festive day. After breakfast of eggs, sausage, fruit and pancakes, we moved upstairs. We went outside for a bit but the egg hunt was over and the morning was a little chilly without a coat.

Inside again we entered the sanctuary and heard the end of the choir rehearsal. The sanctuary was decorated with donated lilies around the alter, about 15 plants. Silk flowers had also been added to the green plants that regularly hung in the Sanctuary, and along with a beautiful Easter banner, added to the festivity.

The Easter service had additional special music besides the larger choir. The young man who had played Jesus on Palm Sunday was back with his trumpet and another brass horn which he played, accompanying several songs during the service. It was a perfect celebratory sound for our small sanctuary.

One of my favorite moments was when the Pastor reminded the children of that first Sunday in Lent when they had helped her put the word Alleluia in a fancy gold box. At this service she opened the box with a flourish and encouraged the congregation to join her in shouting, "Alleluia" as she pulled out the word. We had each been given a small bell on a ribbon and throughout the service, whenever the word Alleluia was sung or spoken, we all rang our bells, rejoicing in this special day.

It wasn't as grand an Easter celebration as we are used to at home, but the church was full, maybe 100 people all dressed in their Easter best, and the mood was exuberant. The Alleluias were echoing around the room and the joy was apparent on the faces as we greeted each person, wishing them God's Peace and stating, "Christ is risen" "He is risen indeed". It was a beautiful Easter morning. The service lasted 90 minutes and was a wonderful beginning to the Easter Season.

After the service we went home and had a little snack and nap before heading back outside to enjoy the sunny 50 degree weather. We were also able to visit with Ellen who was enjoying warm weather in TX. When we hung up, we drove to Liberty Park, a larger park in the city that reminds me a bit of Como Park. It was full of families picnicking and enjoying the lovely weather. We walked around the park, thinking of our families so far away, and enjoying all the activity, blooming bulbs, and warm sun.

Just before 3 we left the Park for a suburb just to the south of the city where we had been invited for Easter dinner by two elderly friends we had met at Mt Tabor. Marge and Barry did not want us to bring any food, but we did bring an azalea plant and card, explaining that we always ordered one to decorate our church at home for Easter.

We had a fun time over wine and beer, cheese and crackers, and pretzels and nuts as we shared our stories of how we came to be in Utah. They have three daughters, all married and out-of -state now, and seemed to genuinely enjoy being with us on Easter. Our daughters Beth Emily and Katie called to wish us a Happy Easter from Wayne's sister's home, and Wayne excused himself for just a few minutes to visit with them.

Marge had made a wonderful dinner. We moved from our stools at the kitchen bar into the dining room to enjoy it, with coffee, tea and pie for dessert. During dinner and afterwards, we had stimulating conversations on what we thought would become of the traditional church, sharing some differences between Mt. Tabor and Woodlake, and learning about their experiences living in a community dominated by the LDS church. Barry was intrigued by our answers and wanted to share with us a favorite author and book, The Heart of Christianity by Marcus Borg. We stayed until 8 PM when we excused ourselves as we still wanted to call Wayne's parents and wish them a Happy Easter.

We ended this special day with a nice visit with Ray and Fran Schmieg. How lucky we are to have friends and family with whom to share special days!

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