ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA!

How I love those words when we get to proclaim them again at Easter.

Having been a pilgrim in the Holy Lands last summer with the Province IV Youth Ministry and Kanuga group, this faithful walk, beginning with Advent and Christmas, has been a new and different journey for me. As warned, I must agree that hearing scripture is forever changed for me, having been to or near the places where the story happened in the first place.

I know what Bethlehem looks and feels and smells like.

I've been to Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee.

I've walked and prayed the Via Dolorosa in a bustling Jerusalem.

I've said my prayers in the church of the Holy Sepulchre.

This year my journey through Holy Week had a different power for me. I was slightly distracted by family drama, concerns for health and safety of aging parents, grieving with friends whose parents died. Yet I found myself full of eager, confident, even giddy anticipation of the joy of Easter.

We didn't have a vigil at my congregation this year, but I found strains of "Jesus Christ is risen today . . . " playing through my head on Holy Saturday night. It caused me to laugh out loud. I then had to explain myself to my husband and sons who wondered what I found so amusing. When I told them, grinning and giggling, they shook their heads at me and called me a "Church Geek."

That's me; Church Geek, Sacristy Rat, Jesus Freak, Believer, Evangelist.

CHRISTIAN!

Loud and proud Episcopalian.

Happy Easter!