Unless I looked at a calendar, I never would've guessed today was truly Easter Day, and that Holy Week was over. I skipped the Palm Sunday and Good Friday services, and went to a couple of churches for Maundy Thursday and Mass this morning in which I barely recognized the customs of service.
Thursday (while we were still in Arkansas) we went to an African-American church on the outskirts of town. It consisted mostly of Christian rock/pop music, Christian stand-up comedy, and intense praying. People continually shouted "Amen" (pronounced ay-men) and "Hallelujah" (considered a sin in the Anglican/Catholic church to say during Lent). We didn't even have communion or washing of the feet, like I'm so used to witnessing.
Today I went to a church in town (called Emmaus), and the service was a lot like the FCA agenda. There was no communion, nor any Easter hymns I recognized. It was [yet was also not] a completely new experience for me.
I wasn't completely confused, though, about this being Holy Week. After the Maundy Thursday service, we returned to the GreaterWorks Club house, and had our own foot-washing ceremony and devotional, and last night several friends and I made our way to Boe Chapel for the Easter Vigil service. Both were probably the most Episcopal moments I've had all week. So much for going to a Lutheran school, and road tripping to a Southern Baptist location. :-)
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