Just in case there should be a resurrection tomorrow morning, all is prepared. The church is clean – brushed, polished & bedecked with flowers thanks to an host of folk who turned up this morning to help.
The times of the services tomorrow are:
7 am – Easter Vigil with Blessing of the Fire, Bishop Idris, Baptism and first Eucharist of Easter
8.30 am – Said Eucharist in St Anne’s Chapel
1030 am – Sung Eucharist – hymns, anthems, sermon. This service will be followed by a ride-past of more than 10 000 bikers.
6.30 pm Choral Evensong
There are 1200 chocolate eggs hidden around the church which need to be found and consumed between the Sung Eucharist and the arrival of the bikers.
If there should be a resurrection…
I always feel on Holy Saturday that you never can be sure.
Yesterday I kept saying ‘tomorrow’ in reference to Sunday. I made the mistake time and time again. As if something in me was too anxious about Holy Saturday to give it space, to uncertain after all that’s happened this week to endure much waiting.
Some of the eggs are in the sacristy for the servers to find.
The thurble will be ignited from the holy fire and (hopefully) kept alight through the 8:30 service to the 10:30 Eucharist. With careful stoking and passing through the hands of three thurifers it be available for Kelvin to cense the bikers at midday.
I’m presuming all the chocolate eggs are FairTrade?
I’m presuming that too.
Certainly, it was a fair trade breakfast at the vigil and the oils that the bishop has blessed for the diocese this year come from Palestinian olive growers.
Happy Easter! xx
I don’t mind being censed today as I pass the Cathedral, as long as I don’t end up incensed!
I’ll try to give a big wave as I pass, as will my pillion passenger, and for the record we’re not setting off from SECC until 1230hrs so won’t be passing St Mary’s at midday.
Layclerk – It was great to see you when you came out of the cavalcade to greet, and be greeted by, Kelvin.
Thanks Stewart, and thanks for emailing me the photo of said encounter. And it was nice to see the Provost knows his place by genuflecting in front of a BMW motorcycle when we arrived! 🙂