Readiness through the season
Larry Gruman
March 3, 2011
When the Pilgrims came to America in 1620, they made strict rules for their society. One of these rules was that no celebration of Christmas or Easter was to be held outside the church. The reason behind this was that in their old home in England, Christmas and Easter festivities had turned into orgies, street brawls, and wild parades, and the Pilgrims wanted none of that in their new homeland.
So, the celebration of Christmas and Easter in New England was downplayed, with only a mention of the day in church services. That custom remained in many churches until the last century when a deeper understanding of these key events became desirable. The ritual and liturgy of Christmas and Easter seemed to require more than a single day, so gradually the four weeks of Advent and the forty days of Lent evolved into important times of preparation.
As a boy, I experienced this transition to a prolonged season of celebration. And I came to appreciate the stepping-stones that led to a better understanding of these events in the Christian calendar. Muslims observe their month-long Ramadan; the Oregon Ducks spend weeks getting ready for the season; many of us spend a good deal of time preparing ourselves for an overseas trip. These are all stepping-stones to prepare for a climactic event.
For me, the forty days of Lent are times of anticipation, preparing myself for the Day that shakes all conventional thought. Easter is just too big for me to confine it to a single day – it breaks the shell of ordinary ideas, ordinary rhythms. If I am going to experience the full impact of Easter, if my life is going to be re- directed, then a good deal of preparation time is necessary.
As I discovered that a season, rather than a day, made these holidays more meaningful, I looked for a way to engage the preparation time with some special actions – a bit like a mountain climber on Mt. Everest camps at increasingly high altitudes to acclimate himself towards the summit. Some people feel that giving up something for the season lends increased meaning to the final step. My experience has been just the opposite; I found that adding something to my daily routines made the final celebration richer.
Every year is different, and every year I try a different daily habit. Here are some stepping-stones to Easter that I found helpful:
I ask a blessing at every meal in the day, even in public restaurants. I greet everyone I meet with a word and a smile, – and an inward prayer "God bless you."I read a prayer from a book of daily prayers. I make a point of reading a Psalm from the Bible every day. The daily build-up in this positive way is meaningful to me.
Shakespeare's Hamlet says it clearly: " The readiness is all". Preparation for a real celebration expands the opportunity to live fully the meaning of the Big Day.
Larry Gruman is a member of Central Presbyterian Church. He teaches courses in the Bible at several churches. He is currently teaching about the King James Version at its 400th anniversary. This column is coordinated by Lane Interfaith Alliance (LIA) to offer inspiration, share personal spiritual experiences and bring a deeper understanding of individual faith perspectives with the intention of blessing our community and the world. For information visit www.laneinterfaithalliance.org or call 344-0430.