Easter Day

Ian and I went to the 5.30am Dawn Service on Easter Sunday.  It felt very strange getting up so early and getting in the car in the dark.  It did feel a bit mad to be out and about so early in the day.  Got to the church to find some other mad people assembled!  It was a good service.  We started outside the church with the brazier burning.  The Easter candle is blessed and lit from the brazier.  We then process into the dark church with the candles lit.  This service is to commemorate the woman coming early in the morning to anoint Jesus body.  There had been no time to do it when he died on Friday evening and the following day, Saturday, was the Sabbath where you were forbidden to deal with dead bodies.  So their first opportunity was first thing on Sunday morning.  But when they got there they found that the heavy stone had been rolled away and the tomb was empty.  So where was Jesus?  He was alive and already on the go.  An angel told the women to go and tell the disciples to meet Jesus in Galilee.  We light the candles in the church to signify Jesus being the light of the world because he had overcome the power of death and darkness.
Afterwards we came back and fell asleep as we were due to go the Family Service at 10.30am.  This was a more lively service and many people from the village who don't normally go to church came.  The church was full and everyone dressed up in the best!
We came home and rested.  Well that was the idea but we got involved in looking at kitchens because we are thinking of updating our kitchen.  We spent ages trying to work out where everything will go, measuring  and consulting the categlogues.  In the evening we watched "Waking the Dead" - very intriguing but continues tonight.