Easter Memories 2010: Part Two

photo of Baptist church

in Valley Mills, Texas

by Blake Spencer

An ancient Easter greeting:
Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen indeed!

Easter greeting 2010:
Happy Easter!
Same to ya!

New liturgy spoken...
liturgy that made me laugh.
Joyfully laugh!

An Easter morning discovery:
Decent and orderly Presbyterians
will shout when invited.
They will shout like spirit filled
Pentecostal, Baptist a-men-ing
saints.

We shouted out the language of angels.
Alleluia!
We shouted...
90 year olds and
1 year olds...
we shouted loud enough for the neighboring
Catholics and Methodists and Church of Christ'ers...
loud enough for the Non-denominational faithful
who meet on the hill in the big metal building.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

After worship I drove out to
a ranch
to eat
with the Alexander family...
a big family gathered from
Houston, Austin and
Gatesville...
a family who knows how to eat, and laugh,
laugh and eat!

We ended the prayer with the loudest
Alleluia of them all!

Wine, desert, stories,
memories,
dreams,
and visions for the future.

I couldn't have asked for more.

Joy enough
to savor
for days
and weeks
and years
to come.

Alleluia!
Amen!