Happy Easter

Easter was not quite what I expected.  before going to the english-speaking fellowship that I attend, I want to go to a full service with Easter music, flowers, a celebration of the Resurrection.  I also anticipated that the streets would be decorated in celebration of Easter.  What I found was that the streets were silent and empty and the church I planned to attend was closed.  The black and purple Lenten banners were still hanging from windows.  At the fellowship gathering I learned that the big day here in Antigua is Good Friday.  In fact the biggest processions take place on Good Friday.  The day of Resurrection sees less of the celebration and enthusiasm that is seen earlier in the week.  Elizabeth told me that things are better then they used to be and now some of the priests do preach a message of hope on Easter Sunday. Stores were open and things seemed like business as usual.  It felt rather anti-climatic given all that had been going on during the week.  

Later today there will be two processions, but not much more to recognize what I believe to be the height of the Christian year.  In the afternoon I did hear some bells ringing.  

The church where I did find a service was at what looked like a storefront protestant church called La Vida Y Fe.  It turned out to be a large warehouse-type space, seating between 100-200 people.  There was a praise team led primarily by the pastor.  There was singing and praising that lasted for an hour, interspersed with prayers and exhortations by the pastor.  After an hour someone joined the pastor and began to interpret into english what the pastor was saying.  I had to leave at that point in order to get to the english-speaking service because I was leading that.  I look forward to going again to La Vida and being able to remain for the whole time.

All in all I am still processing the whole Easter experience in Antigua and what it means for the people.

Hasta Luego.