Holy Vigil
07/04/12 05:07
The Protestant Reformation brought many good things to the church. The vision of a church that was organized by a different principle than a rigid hierarchy with “top-down” lines of authority gave rise to new possibilities for ministry and mission. Rejection of the centralization of wealth and power within the institution of the church helped Christian congregations to capture a prophetic vision of service to those marginalized by social and political structures. Loosening the tight control on who could and who could not become a minister invited new and creative leaders into the church.
I have always been a protestant. I do not expect to ever not be one. However, I have deep appreciation and respect for our Roman Catholic sisters and brothers. The reformation was, in my opinion, necessary and important, but there is also grief and loss in such a division within the church. One of the losses has been the rejection of certain elements of traditional liturgy. It was necessary for the reformers to focus on ministry rather than ceremony. The church had been corrupted by lavish and expensive events that distorted financial priorities and made a big show of religion at the expense of those most in need. The reformers, for a while, moved a long ways in the opposite direction, rejecting vestments, special vessels and even banning musical instruments from services of worship.
As the years have passed since the Reformation, elements of traditional liturgy have begun to be embraced by Protestant congregations. As one would expect, there is a wide range of variation of liturgies embraced by different congregations. This rich diversity adds to the joy of maintaining connections with other congregations.
The dynamics of the separation of the Anglican Communion from the Roman Catholic Church were slightly different than other expressions of the Protestant Reformation. For the most part, Anglican congregations did not reject the organizational structure or the liturgies of the Roman Church except for the centralized authority of the Vatican. This means that the Anglican Communion, expressed in the United States in the Episcopal Church, has been the keeper of certain traditions within the community of Protestant Churches. The rich tradition of carefully crafted language for the liturgies, the keeping of an orderly book of common prayer, and the observation of the rites and rituals of the church provide a delightful expression of faith.
Worship in the United Church of Christ, my home, is often different. But I do enjoy, on occasion, attending an Episcopal congregation and listening to the traditional words that carry a connection with our history. In recent years, I can often be found at a local Episcopal congregation for the Easter Vigil service. Easter Vigil is the first service of the new season after Lent has passed with the Good Friday liturgy. The liturgy begins with a service of light. The sanctuary is dark, with no lights and the service begins outside of the church with a new fire lighted and blessed. A Paschal Candle is lighted from the fire and the procession towards the sanctuary begins with the deacon singing: Christ is our light, and the congregation responding: Thanks be to God. The Exsultet is the Easter Proclamation, usually sung as a solo or a congregational hymn.
The service of the word follows with an abbreviated journey through the history of faith. Nine readings are used in the traditional service: 1) the story of creation, Gen 1:1-2; 2; 2) Abraham and Isaac, Gen 22:1-18; 3) Crossing of the Red Sea, Exodus 14:15–15:1; 4) Isaiah 54:5-14; 5) Isaiah 55:1-11; 6) Baruch 3:9-15.32–4:4; 7) Ezekiel 36:16-17.18-28; 8) Romans 6:3-11; and 9) Gospel reading Mark 16:1-7.
After the readings and reflections, a baptismal remembrance ceremony is conducted. Sometimes there are baptisms to be celebrated as well. This is followed by the liturgy of Eucharist.
As you can imagine, it takes time to go through this liturgy. Although tradition invites worship leaders to wait until sunset before starting the liturgy, practicality means that the congregation I attend starts about a half hour earlier. The service is about 90 minutes. It is, in my opinion, a wise investment of my time. All worship leaders know that the quality of worship is altered by the responsibilities of leadership. During holy week, we have extra services and invest a great deal of energy in preparing liturgies, printing bulletins, setting the sanctuary for particular services, and rehearsing. Beginning Easter by being a worshiper and not a leader is a good opportunity for me to focus my attention, renew my appreciation for worship, and offer myself to God. Compared to many members of the congregation, my Easter is filled with nearly non-stop worship. After participating in the Vigil at our sister church, I will participate in leading a sunrise service, our regular service and three nursing home services on Sunday.
By Monday I will be exhausted. It is the best kind of tiredness, however.
Getting to Monday requires stamina and endurance. For me these come from practicing the faith. Like an athlete who conditions by running more and more, my spirit grows through the practice of worship and prayer. This does not mean that I forget my duties of care and concern for the congregation and the community. It does, however, mean that my priorities are shifted a bit during holy week. There is a subtle cost to my practice. Most of the members of our congregation attend the Palm and Passion Sunday worship and then worship again at a single service on Easter. The fact that I have participated in five services between those two events creates a distance between the majority of the congregation I serve and myself. Too much distance between pastor and congregation is not healthy. It can seduce me into thinking I am different from those I serve. But for this one week each year, I find deep meaning in immersing myself in worship, liturgy and tradition. And I am not alone. I know that I will see the faces of at least two laypersons from our congregation this evening who will have participated in all of the other services of the week. A small minority of the congregation shares the liturgical journey. The invitation exists for others to join us.
Until this evening, however, we wait. The day stretches ahead with many activities. But we know Easter is coming. Yet a little while . . .

As the years have passed since the Reformation, elements of traditional liturgy have begun to be embraced by Protestant congregations. As one would expect, there is a wide range of variation of liturgies embraced by different congregations. This rich diversity adds to the joy of maintaining connections with other congregations.
The dynamics of the separation of the Anglican Communion from the Roman Catholic Church were slightly different than other expressions of the Protestant Reformation. For the most part, Anglican congregations did not reject the organizational structure or the liturgies of the Roman Church except for the centralized authority of the Vatican. This means that the Anglican Communion, expressed in the United States in the Episcopal Church, has been the keeper of certain traditions within the community of Protestant Churches. The rich tradition of carefully crafted language for the liturgies, the keeping of an orderly book of common prayer, and the observation of the rites and rituals of the church provide a delightful expression of faith.

The service of the word follows with an abbreviated journey through the history of faith. Nine readings are used in the traditional service: 1) the story of creation, Gen 1:1-2; 2; 2) Abraham and Isaac, Gen 22:1-18; 3) Crossing of the Red Sea, Exodus 14:15–15:1; 4) Isaiah 54:5-14; 5) Isaiah 55:1-11; 6) Baruch 3:9-15.32–4:4; 7) Ezekiel 36:16-17.18-28; 8) Romans 6:3-11; and 9) Gospel reading Mark 16:1-7.
After the readings and reflections, a baptismal remembrance ceremony is conducted. Sometimes there are baptisms to be celebrated as well. This is followed by the liturgy of Eucharist.
As you can imagine, it takes time to go through this liturgy. Although tradition invites worship leaders to wait until sunset before starting the liturgy, practicality means that the congregation I attend starts about a half hour earlier. The service is about 90 minutes. It is, in my opinion, a wise investment of my time. All worship leaders know that the quality of worship is altered by the responsibilities of leadership. During holy week, we have extra services and invest a great deal of energy in preparing liturgies, printing bulletins, setting the sanctuary for particular services, and rehearsing. Beginning Easter by being a worshiper and not a leader is a good opportunity for me to focus my attention, renew my appreciation for worship, and offer myself to God. Compared to many members of the congregation, my Easter is filled with nearly non-stop worship. After participating in the Vigil at our sister church, I will participate in leading a sunrise service, our regular service and three nursing home services on Sunday.
By Monday I will be exhausted. It is the best kind of tiredness, however.
Getting to Monday requires stamina and endurance. For me these come from practicing the faith. Like an athlete who conditions by running more and more, my spirit grows through the practice of worship and prayer. This does not mean that I forget my duties of care and concern for the congregation and the community. It does, however, mean that my priorities are shifted a bit during holy week. There is a subtle cost to my practice. Most of the members of our congregation attend the Palm and Passion Sunday worship and then worship again at a single service on Easter. The fact that I have participated in five services between those two events creates a distance between the majority of the congregation I serve and myself. Too much distance between pastor and congregation is not healthy. It can seduce me into thinking I am different from those I serve. But for this one week each year, I find deep meaning in immersing myself in worship, liturgy and tradition. And I am not alone. I know that I will see the faces of at least two laypersons from our congregation this evening who will have participated in all of the other services of the week. A small minority of the congregation shares the liturgical journey. The invitation exists for others to join us.
Until this evening, however, we wait. The day stretches ahead with many activities. But we know Easter is coming. Yet a little while . . .