Shabooyah.

Risen indeed!

East was a busy day. It actually started last night. Well, let me back up to Friday. Friday was Terrible Friday (what we call Good Friday, only it’s not actually on the same day due to different methods of calculating the date of Easter.). This is the day we normally have our team meeting and BS. We finished the Jesus film and I gave the students an oppritunity to respond. Many came back with us (Hil, Brian, Alana and I) to ask questions and just talk. Some students are asking for prayer and one confirmed her love for Jesus. Another entered the family anew! Hippa-hoo-rah, if I do say so myself.

Saturday night a bunch of us headed down to church for the 11pm (Easter) service. Well, we skipped going inside for the actual liturgy and waited outside the packed house for the procession around the church showing up a little past 11:30. There were multiple cameras inside and one outside covering the service and the whole thing was projected onto an outside wall of the church so we could see what was going on. Pretty sweet. Anyway, out come the priests with the incense and banners and we’re on our way.

Once everyone is out the doors are shut and we start our way around the building. I can smell the incense at times even though (because, maybe?) it’s windy. Many have candles. I see a student of mine with his (presumably) mother and sister. He’s startled and asks, “Why are you here?” I answer, “The same as you.” The crowd separates us as Alana’s less than 100% ankle pulls me one direction and his mother pulls another.

Once we get back in front the priest knocks on the door. It’s midnight. The doors are thrown open, the choir goes nuts and there’s a frenzy of “Christos vaskres!”, crossing, “Voistinu vaskres!” in response and bowing. I am told the service continued on into the morning, but we didn’t stay for too much longer.

I went back to church the normal time this morning, to see if the liturgy was still on for Easter. No dice—but everything was wide open. The front doors, the side chapels and the doors/curtain behind the altar (which only open during certain times during the liturgy, I think) were all open. I was able to take my time and venerate the hard to get to icons and just enjoy church without the crowd. There’s a really cool one of St. George and the Dragon that I like, and a series that shows the life of Jesus. Plus, there’s a dead guy up front in a fancy box that I was finally to go up and see. I want to find out more about him. Like, what’s his name?

Anyway, since there was no liturgy I hiked back across Stepnoy to catch the 10am service at Living Vine (the little protestant church plant a lot of us attend). It was interesting and quite a switch from the O-dox way of doing things. Scott did the preaching so I was able to understand the sermon, which is always nice.

Then I remembered I had told Alana I’d meet her at the O-dox church. Okay, take a break, go to the bathroom or get something to drink. It keeps going.

Alana, Andrea and Hillary had been invited by a student to visit church and have Easter dinner afterwards. Since I usually go to the O-dox service in the morning we were just going to meet there and touch base for the coming week. So, I hoof it back across Stepnoy (I’m going on 5k by this time) and it’s not even noon yet.

Right outside Living Vine I’m engaged in conversation by a vagrant. He’s got a bad limp that’s giving him some trouble with some random stairs in the extremely anti-disabled people sidewalk. So I help him out and he asks me if I’m going to the magazine down the way. Keeping it simple, I say no. Then he starts telling my how he doesn’t need (or want) to drink or smoke. I agree, nodding in understanding. He asks for money. I literally have nothing on me. It’s not for smokes or vodka he promises. I just need food. It’s Easter! Christ is risen! I only need something to eat. Having nothing to give and not thinking to invite him to my flat (a 20 minute walk with his limp, plus he’d make me even more likely to miss Alana at church) I start to walk away and mumble some lame apology.

Then he gave me a cake.
If you need money for food… why not keep the cake?
Whatever.

Anyway, I make it back to the O-dox church and catch Alana and everyone without any problems. Rima and Ira are there too, but before I can say anything to anyone, Rima invites me along for Easter dinner too. I know it looks like I’m a freeloader, but I had no intentions of horning in on them. Still, I got to look extra holy to all the people accepting donations on the way in and out of the church since I passed them all at least four times. We also got extra blessed (wet) with Rima and Ira as we set our cakes (and cookies) and eggs on the table outside church and the priest (with the choir) sprinkled water all over everything. He particularly enjoyed dousing one woman who hadn’t covered her head.

Then it was off to Easter dinner with Rima and Ira. We enjoyed borsch, a variety of salads and plov, plus lots of pasha (I’ve forgotten already—those cakes people make here for Easter) and cookies and tea. We enjoyed a Russian tour of the Holy Land on film and, as Joel will be pleased to learn, a number of music videos from around the world. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times. Skipped the karaoke and dancing this year though. I’m sure Joel danced enough for both Unus and I.

I also fit in a few hours of ultimate Frisbee on the windiest day of all time AND a little American football. Good thing I only have on day of class (tomorrow) this week. I had to play three hours of LOTR on the X-box just to unwind tonight.

Crank Handel’s Messiah while you can—that’s Easter music if I’ve ever heard it.