Tonight was Holy Tuesday Service,The Bride Groom Mantins.I have to admit during holy week these bride groom mantins are my favorite.I think its because they are held in the evening,the lighting in soft,there are few people in the church and this year the incense were sweet and soft smelling its just wonderful to listen to those lovely soft chants and prayers.
As the week progresses the services get slightly louder and by Friday and Saturday evening the church is really crowded and loud.
I tend to be a more quite person when it comes to prayer and enjoy these soft mantins to loud services.I have never been one who could focus well and concentrate with noise around me,my mind goes in all different directions and I miss the point.
It is sad to think that in the next few days it will be more about the responses and less about the meaning and beauty.Most of the people that attend our church have done so since childhood. Holy Friday and Saturday become more about their joy of being able to sing the chants and responses to the service,a more social event then a service. But that's OK. because we all praise God in different ways.Some people need the loud excitement of Christ being risen I guess I need the quite soothing of the soft tones to help me ease into Easter day. I need to focus on the days leading up to the Crucifixion and the death,I need to know and feel all Jesus felt and to moarn for awhile.Jumping into Easter is a slow process for me and although the resurection is a wonderous thing I need to feel the full sadness before I can feel the full joy.
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2 comments:
Someone asked me why should I go to church to hear the same thing over and over every year. You have a good point in wanting to feel the fullness of what is known of the suffering, and sadness before you can experience the fullness of Joy. For me, just as my struggles have increased, and with it the pain, so has the understanding. That is how you get to the joy. It all has to do with measure. He doesn't give us more than we can handle at any given time. Wisdom is acquired when He reveals it to us. It is usually an A HA moment, when we are quiet.
i believe when you can relate and understand the suffering you can also relate and understand the joy.In the bible Jesus talks about when a woman goes into labor then has her baby she goes through great pain but when her child is born the joy is so great the suffering is forgotten.so maybe this week is the labor pain before the birth on Sunday.
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