The wonderful thing about living in a culture where you get an entire week's holiday for Easter is that there is time to s.l.o.w. d.o.w.n..... Time to linger over the season. To wonder how the God of the Universe cared about me enough that He planned for my redemption. That the One who came at Christmas did not remain a babe, but progressed through a plan He did not control that ended at the Cross.
This year we took a few of the things we enjoyed from Semana Santa (Holy Week) last year and we've added a few new things as well. No, we're not running off to the beach or touring some other Central American country, we're "staycationing" as the trendy new catchphrase says. But we're slowing down enough to enjoy what Jubilee calls "nothing days"-days with no required agenda where we enjoy each other's company. Where kids build forts that look like "Gilligan's Island" huts, we eat together late and experiment with new recipies, we have time for guests and chatting at the fence with our neighbors....
We began our preparations Saturday with cleaning out the leaven (symbolically). Everyone had a task, from the fridage and pantry to sweeping and picking up dog poop outside. Of course there is added excitement because we are also preparing for Grandma to arrive! Our Easter Tree has 16 days of accompanying devotions. Each evening as we gather for devotions, the kids find the picture that corresponds with our reading. And after we read scripture the famous work of art is added to our tree. We planted an Easter garden, lining a large basket with plastic we turned a small flowerpot on it's side for the tomb and covered the tomb with dirt. Then we planted wheat berries which are now grass on the hill where three stick crosses wait. The tomb will be covered on Friday and the middle cross will be draped in purple on Sunday when the tomb opens. We will make our resurrection rolls (put a marshmallow in the middle so that they are empty like the tomb after they are baked). And on Friday we will sit down to a Messianic seder. I am adapting the program to fit our family.
I am enjoying these Lenten traditions. It seems as the Protestant church struggled to place significance on the heart we lost some of the Rites that Israel had to incorporate the spiritual into daily life. Finding that balance of "teaching these things to your children" as you sit down (to a meal?), as you rise up (beginning each day with praise?), and as you walk along the way (day to day consistency)- is a process that looks different in each family and can change according to the season you're in. Right now we are loving the leisurely pace of life.
