So what are you doing to prepare for Resurrection Day service?
You'll all remember that just--I mean JUST--before Christmas, I was handed the task of pulling together the program. It went well and we were all blessed.
In January, the pastor appointed a new Music Director. His job is to get a soloist each week, choose the music for Sunday morning, prepare programs for Christmas, Resurrection Day, and 4th of July.
Today, I called him to ask how the Resurrection Day program was going since I had heard NOTHING and it's only 4 weeks away. (I do the bulletin and wondered if he needed a note in there about volunteers, etc.)
He said, "Oh, am I supposed to do that?"
We talked awhile and he delegated that job. "Would you mind taking that on?" he asked me.
I'm laughing as I write. I wanted to snap at him. "Get with it. You're the music director!" But, remember...my job is to fill in wherever and whenever I'm needed.
Tonight, I worked out two "choir readings." This is very old fashioned, but will work in our church that is made up of many elderly and retired people. We'll do one scripture passage on the cross and death and another scripture passage on the resurrection. The "choir" will read the passages and individuals will read when a particular character speaks.
Between the two readings, we'll have some songs, maybe 2 soloists and maybe congregational singing.
Then we'll have communion and the message followed by an invitational song.
That's what we'll be doing...and yes, I prayed before beginning to work on this.
And, I'm sitting here tonight wondering what YOU will be doing.
What I mean by that is...I'm planning to go visit my mom for Easter, since I'm still "between ministries." My mom's pastor is MY old pastor from when I was growing up. Everyone at that church knows that DH and I are music/theatre people. So...I'm guessing we'll get roped into something,
Better have a song or monologue prepared just in case . And no, I don't do that kind of thing for most people. But my mom? Well, she did give birth to me and all - and the reason they usually ask us to help out with stuff like that IS because she brags about us all the time...
About 3 years ago, God gave me a vision for a special interactive Good Friday service. We walk ourselves through the last days of Christ. We set up the fellowship hall as if it's the Last Supper & have communion. We then go to the "Garden of Gethsemane" (sorry about my spelling) and we cannot tarry for one hour. During this time, people take turns reading some prepared Scripture & we usually sing "In the Garden." The guards come to take "Christ." We then give everyone cross necklaces & sing "I have Decided to Follow Jesus." We then follow "Christ" into the sanctuary where we see him nailed to the cross. We play songs such as "Does He Still Feel the Nails?" and "The Old Rugged Cross." We take pieces of paper & write down our needs/heartaches & then place them on another cross that has nails. Last year, we placed a rose on the floor & one by one we came by & stomped on the rose while "Above All" was playing. ("like a rose, trampled on the ground, He took the fall & thought of me, above all.) We then sing or listen to a "Resurrection" song such as "Rise Again." Finally, the curtains on stage open up to "heaven." We sing the chorus to "What A Day That Will Be" & "Christ" takes each person by the hand into heaven ("When He takes me by the hand, and leads me to the promised land, what a day, a glorious day that will be.") Then we sing the chorus to "The Old Rugged Cross" where we exchange the cross necklaces for crowns ("I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it someday for a crown.") Then we'll end on "I Can Only Imagine."
It seems ho-hum when written out on paper, but it is amazing to walk through it.
Trace's "exchange the cross for a crown" motivated me. Today, I drove 87 miles to a Michael's store bought crosses and crowns. We'll be doing two readings (one about the cross, the other about the resurrection). Following the reading of the cross, we'll sing, "I have decided to follow Jesus" and we'll pass out the crosses. After the reading of the resurrection, we'll sing "The Old Rugged Cross" and we'll do the exchange. Thank's for sharing.
Funny thing happened to me, I tried to respond to this two weeks ago but as I was writing, I got convicted of what I was saying and decided to erase my post... Not that it was out of order but because my response was about how I hate last minute things and how I was so grateful that I was not responsible for doing the Resurrection Program... Basically I was rejoicing in my "non"-involvement...
WELL I GUESS YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY!!!!!! One of the Sunday School teachers came to me and said, "Oh Mrs. Brunswick, Easter just snuck up on me, I have not started planning anything for the kids, can you please bail me out?!" The first issue is that I don't attend the Sunday School at my church (long story... just pray my strength), however I am responsible for youth choir and our newly formed dance ministry, so now she wants a dance (we have not started anything Easter-ish), two songs and a skit. Did I mention that she asked for this YESTERDAY! Easter is in two weeks. No rehearsals scheduled... No skit in mind...
So I am now confessing that you were giving me a prophetic warning when I read this post before so it is really my fault for not being ready... So I will now have to get in a hurry to put somethings together... However to answer your question I can now tell you what I do to get ready for an Easter (Resurrection Day) Program - I surf the internet for skits and I review lyrics from songs... We will be doing a dance to Kirk Franklin's - The Blood Song, unless I can work out something faster to James Hall's - O The Blood...
Here's the rub - I had just asked the Lord to redefine my calling and purpose at Salem (literally as I was on the way to church) - see what happens when you are truly connected to the Lord.
<laughing> Okay, I'll stop laughing immediately! I missed your post 9 days ago! And today came back to let everyone know that the rehearsals have been good. Tonight (Wed night) is our last run through. I Promise to share after the Resurrection Day service.
For you, I will pray. In the last 9 days what has happened? Have you come up with a dance and a skit? I'm presuming you did. Were your people able to come in to go over them?
Sometimes these things get dumped on us and we have to make the best of the situation -- BUT, sometimes it is the Lord's will for us and we learn so much by walking through it. I've been pretty nervous about our undertaking. Now, I'm looking forward to it. Hope you are, too!
Good question, lol!! What I mean by that is...I'm planning to go visit my mom for Easter, since I'm still "between ministries." My mom's pastor is MY old pastor from when I was growing up. Everyone at that church knows that DH and I are music/theatre people. So...I'm guessing we'll get roped into something, Better have a song or monologue prepared just in case . And no, I don't do that kind of thing for most people. But my mom? Well, she did give birth to me and all - and the reason they usually ask us to help out with stuff like that IS because she brags about us all the time...
I just read over this post of mine, and laughed. Why? Because...wait for it...I'm doing a monologue for Easter Sunday at my mom's church!!!
Her SP had nothing planned - it just sort of snuck up on him, I guess?!?!? - and she mentioned a humorous monologue that I did in church (my church) last year. So she told him about it. I got a call and an e-mail from him, AND an e-mail from his wife asking me to do it for them this year.
. And no, I don't do that kind of thing for most people. But my mom? Well, she did give birth to me and all - and the reason they usually ask us to help out with stuff like that IS because she brags about us all the time...
