"See you Ee-tah!"

Many years ago, when my nieces were very young, Ted and I traveled home to Mississippi from Texas for every holiday. The little girls were always so glad to see us and we treasured our time watching them grow up, albeit in spurts from our Texas vantage point. The youngest, Catherine, was about two and barely talking one year when we left on Sunday afternoon to return to Texas after a Valentine's Day visit. She stood at the door of my mother's home, and waved and waved, and shouted, "See you Ee-tah!" Translation: "See you Easter!" I don't quite know how she knew that Easter was the next holiday on the calendar, but she did. And she was, even at that young age, excited about it. She knew we'd be back to love her, give our undivided attention to her and, generally, have a blessed time together. She sensed it and wasn't afraid, in her tiny little voice, to express the joy it would bring, even though there would be a long and painful separation in between. Easter 2011 is just around the corner -- a week from Sunday. We begin our journey through Holy Week this Palm Sunday with a remembrance of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, a time of great joy and hope. Then, we continue our worship with a remembrance of his passion, suffering and death, a time of extreme sadness and despair -- recalling the time of long and painful separation in between the great joy of the palms and the great tragedy of the crucifixion. There is no going from joy to joy -- that is not realistic, and it is not life. There is always sadness in between. During this Holy Week, we will claim the sadness, and we will claim the sin. We will claim the tragedy of his innocent suffering, all the while claiming the gift of forgiveness, compassion, joy and hope that IS Easter with great anticipation. I invite you to come and be present this week for worship. Palm Sunday at regular worship times, 8:30; 9:45 and 11; Holy Thursday at 7 pm, as we remember Christ's gift of the Eucharist before his death; Good Friday at 7 pm, for a beautiful Service of Tennebrae. Then, in those blessed words of hope and anticipation from a beautiful small child so long ago, I hope and pray we "See you Ee-tah!" a.