March 25, 2008

And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying "Rejoice!" So they came and help him by the feet and worshiped Him.
- Matthew 28: 9

Dear Friends,

This command to rejoice, which Jesus give to the women after His resurrection, might not have seemed like a timely order to an outsider at this time in China, but for those of us who were able to gather, we found it to be very appropriate indeed. Despite the insanity that the extra services for Holy Week added to our already busy schedules, there was much to celebrate. In spite of the ongoing violence in the Tibetan areas of our province in Gansu, none of my colleagues have been threatened or hurt, although a few have been confined to their school campuses, and all foreigners in Gansu have been given travel advisories. There have been a few protests in Lanzhou by Tibetan students, but they have thankfully remained peaceful. Six of the Gansu Amity teachers, myself included, were able to gather for an Easter vigil dinner before heading to church, and the fact that we were able to gather together made it a particularly blessed event.

As Joy Cowley wrote, “There can be no resurrections without crucifixions.” For me, perhaps the biggest reason I had to rejoice was that my schedule finally allowed me to attend all of the Holy Week services this year. In past years, my schedule always interfered with the service times, but this year I was finally able to attend Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter vigil Masses.

The Thursday Mass began at 7:00 p.m., and was still going on when I left at 9:00. The nuns sang a cappella responses to the varied Scripture readings that sent chills up my spine. The processional cross had a green wreath wrapped around it, and after the priests performed the footwashing ritual on several elder members of the parish, the cross was carried first in a procession around the church, followed by a woodclapper, an acolyte with the incense burner, and the two priests carrying the bread and the wine. The woodclapper was hit consistently as they marched, and it sounded like a hammer striking wood (no doubt that was the intent). The nuns also sang a cappella during the processional, and we all followed the priests and acolytes out of the main part of the church up to the second floor for the conclusion of the service. My Kenyan friend Siro said that several people kept vigil all night on the second floor.

For Good Friday, the service again began at 7:00 p.m. and didn't conclude until almost 10:00. Once again, the nuns led the service with a cappella singing, and there was a procession with the cross and the woodclapper. The larger crucifix at the front of the church was covered in a massive black shroud, and the smaller processional crucifix was brought down to ground level so that everyone could kiss the sacred wounds. I think everyone in attendance who was physically able came forward to do so.

The drama of Easter vigil, and the message of hope contained in it, felt even more poignant after those two services. The service was scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m., but actually began at 7:25, after the sun had gone down. The interior of the church was not lit at all, so we headed outside for the Service of Fire. After the bishop had blessed the new flame, the acolytes moved through the crowd, lighting candles before ushering us back inside. I had been tapped to give a Scripture reading (in English, fortunately) from Baruch, which I happily did, and upon the conclusion of our seven readings, the gospel was read in Chinese and English. Following the sermon, the bishop blessed several large blue garbage cans full of water, and then baptized new members of the church in them. After the service, anyone with a bottle could fill it with the water from the garbage cans. (BYOB for holy water?)

Mass concluded with the service of the Sacrament, and the Communion hymn was “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” which we seven foreigners belted out as loud as we could in English. In spite of the death our Lord had suffered, he rose again to give us hope and new life. In spite of the violence that has erupted here in China, God has kept our colleagues and students safe. Despite the riots and the feelings of anger and fear in the air, we still cling to the hope of a transformation to a peaceful resolution. We follow a God who turned a shameful, horrifying death into a fountain of hope and grace. That is why, in this Easter season, we will continue to rejoice. May all of you also remember God’s blessing of renewed joy, and keep all of the people of China in your prayers.

Rae

The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 99