What is in Kelvin's Head?

Top 10 Best Personal Moments of Holy Week 2011

  1. Going to the Stations of the Cross and having it done to me. (Made me cry).
  2. Coming home from the Maundy Thursday vigil after midnight and remembering that I’d had the good sense to change the sheets before going out.
  3. The goodwill and good turnout of the Spring Clean and Polish.
  4. Being greeted with many a “Good Morning, Father” whilst shopping at that great liturgical outfitters, Tesco for Holy Water Basins early on Easter Day. (They must get priests doing it every year – they even had a three for two offer on Holy Water Basins).
  5. Realising that it really was standing room only on Sunday morning.
  6. The Garlanding of Our Lady with white roses during the organ fanfare before the Regina Coeli. (The fact that it took me three goes to get the wonderful garland onto Herself, means that this may be known henceforth as the Lassoing of Our Lady).
  7. The way the choir sang the word “meek” during the Magnificat. They sing lots of other words beautifully too, but there was only one K on the end of meek and I know how much work and concentration that represents.
  8. Saving the Vice-Provost from near certain death by thurible. (New St Mary’s Bylaw – No 360 degree thurible tricks if you find yourself in the middle of the procession in error).
  9. Someone beating time with his crozier during, “Blessed be the God and Father”  by S S Wesley. If we are going to do tub-thumpers we must expect tubs to be thumped.
  10. Adding an sneaky extra line to the Rose responses and looking at the choir’s worried faces.

What were your best moments?

Comments

19 responses to “Top 10 Best Personal Moments of Holy Week 2011”

  1. Stewart Avatar
    Stewart

    Number 8 – No new bylaw, just a reminder to anyone in front of, or behind a thurible to keep clear. 360 are a necessity in a procession on major festivals. In fact 720 and 1080 are preferable.

    Reply
  2. Beth Avatar
    Beth

    1. The sound of the congregation on, “Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord,” during the psalm.

    2. The consternation of the choir when I had a hysterical giggling fit, for very particular reasons, at the sermon. On a related note, finally getting the thurible going at the Vigil.

    3. Being greeted with a Holy Water Basin held aloft and an exclamation of, “Isn’t it lovely? They were three for two!”

    4. Akma singing the Exultet.

    5. The popping of the sacristy champagne cork on Easter Day.

    6. Blowing out that last candle at the Stations of the Cross.

    7. The very very first, “He is risen indeed. Alleluia!”. That made me cry.

    8. Being able to participate in the Tantum Ergo in the Good Friday evening service and feeling that in amongst all the grief we had done right by Him.

    9. A text message in the very (very) early hours of Easter Day morning when an overexcited Deacon simply couldn’t wait the four hours to tell me that He was risen.

    10. Realising that there were so many people at the Vigil that we had run out of service sheets.

    Reply
  3. chris Avatar
    chris

    Getting to sing alternate verses all by myself in psalms at 3 evensongs in Cumbrae ! (No-one knows when you make bits of plainsong up if you’re on your own)

    Reply
  4. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
    Rosemary Hannah

    Ohh , lets see.
    1 Arriving in time for all the services.
    2 The breaking of the Pascal candle (in a not-good kind of a way it was good)
    3 Knowing others cared as much or more than me, being among caring others.
    4 feeling useful – being un-useful should not matter but I retain a pleasure in being useful.
    5 finding things to say on my blog that in some small way reflected my faith
    6 Coffee with Beth
    7 Akma singing the Exultet.
    8 + Gregor enjoying the Holy Water
    9 Seeing Our Lady honoured and later sharing something of what Our Lady means to me.
    10 Seeing all those chairs!

    Reply
  5. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
    Rosemary Hannah

    Oooh and I FORGOT Polishing the Eagle. How could I forget??

    Reply
  6. PamB Avatar
    PamB

    Seeing the servers getting their comeuppance for all that incense when they were enthusiastically holy-watered.

    Reply
  8. Stewart Avatar
    Stewart

    @PamB – You can never have too much incense. “Holy watering” is a good thing.

    Reply
  9. Stewart Avatar
    Stewart

    My Top Ten
    1. Processing round Dunblane on Palm Sunday.

    2. The subdued lighting whilst following the “Way of Cross”

    3. Supper with a Bishop

    4. Following the “Journey to Jerusalem”

    5. The calm of Compline.

    6. The desolation at the end of the Maundy Thursday celebration of the Last Supper.

    7. 31 Baptisms and 115 confirmations at the Easter Vigil

    8. The forearm waxing the Succentor received when she removed the Pascal Candle from its holder.

    9. The sun streaming in through the cleostory window in the chancel over the Pascal Candle.

    10. The choir disappearing into a cloud of incense on during the Te Deum at the end of Solemn Choral Evensong on Easter Day.

    Reply
  10. officemanager Avatar
    officemanager

    Could I cheekily ask Rosemary & Stewart if their “Pascal” Candles went out in a Blaise of glory?

    Reply

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