Unfortunately, camera malfunctions meant that I missed what turned out to be one of the highlights of Holy Week - the very beginning, Palm Sunday. That said, I did get my camera working by the end of the week, when it was easy to find people selling willow branches - in Russia, Palm Sunday is "Willow Sunday," palms being rather hard to find in Siberia.
Palm Sunday was a joy because we did something new and the congregation actually seemed to like it! I was surprised, to be honest. It was nothing too special - we simply gathered outside of the church, carrying our willow branches, said a prayer, listened to the Gospel reading, and walked into the prayer house singing. "We've never done that before!" I heard some of the older woman say after church. And they said it with a smile.
That said, the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services, which were planned according to fairly traditional western models, were a little too much change all at once. I heard "we've never done that before!" again, though this time there was no smile.
Yet, our woman are tolerant and faithful, and they kept coming. Below are two pictures from the traditional time of singing before the service on Good Friday. Further down are pictures from our Easter morning and Easter Monday services.
One of the best parts of Easter this year was seeing kids in church again! I hope that we'll be able to build on the small re-start of Sunday School that we had on Easter.
As usual on Sunday nights, together with Slava (far right) and another young man from the Ingrian congregation, Max (far left), we visited the rehab center and led a Bible study on Easter. The resurrection has special meaning for those, like Igor (center) who are in recovery.
Palm Sunday was a joy because we did something new and the congregation actually seemed to like it! I was surprised, to be honest. It was nothing too special - we simply gathered outside of the church, carrying our willow branches, said a prayer, listened to the Gospel reading, and walked into the prayer house singing. "We've never done that before!" I heard some of the older woman say after church. And they said it with a smile.
That said, the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services, which were planned according to fairly traditional western models, were a little too much change all at once. I heard "we've never done that before!" again, though this time there was no smile.
Yet, our woman are tolerant and faithful, and they kept coming. Below are two pictures from the traditional time of singing before the service on Good Friday. Further down are pictures from our Easter morning and Easter Monday services.
One of the best parts of Easter this year was seeing kids in church again! I hope that we'll be able to build on the small re-start of Sunday School that we had on Easter.
...but then again, when kids come to church their grandmothers frequently want them to recite poetry in front of the congregation - maybe that's what's scaring them away! :)
I was completely overwhelmed by the flood of baked goods the women of the congregation brought for me on Easter morning - don't be surprised if the latest pictures you see of me make me look a kilo or 5 heavier.
As usual on Sunday nights, together with Slava (far right) and another young man from the Ingrian congregation, Max (far left), we visited the rehab center and led a Bible study on Easter. The resurrection has special meaning for those, like Igor (center) who are in recovery.
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