Dear Ones of St. Columba's,

Easter is here! We have begun the most joyous and most mysterious season of our church year, the Great 50 Days of Easter. Welcome, and rejoice! 

When I first became Episcopalian the idea that Easter was a season and not just one particular Sunday was new to me, and it might be new to you as well. Just like Christmas in our tradition is a season of time that lasts for twelve days beginning on December 25th, Easter is a season that begins on Easter Sunday and lasts for many days afterward. 

One way to look at our liturgical calendar is as a circle, with times for preparation, times for celebration, and times for productivity and rest. In seasons like Advent and Lent we prepare to come close to the great mysteries of our faith - the Incarnation of Jesus (Christmas), and his death and resurrection(Easter). People prepare in all sorts of ways - through fasting, disciplines, reflection, and more. And, we prepare together by how we worship during these times - the colors are somber, the music may also be more reflective, and our corporate prayer and worship is designed to get us ready to encounter God in a deeper way. 

Then, in the celebratory seasons of Christmas and Easter we revel in these mysteries - exploring them together in liturgy, scripture, and special celebrations, and experiencing them individually as well through celebrations with family, the joy of ending our fasts, and for some the exploration of new, joyful spiritual practices. 

Finally, there are seasons that are neither preparation or celebration. In Godly Play these are called "the great green growing times," because these times after Epiphany and after Pentecost are when we live in ordinary time together, reaping the fruits of our times of preparation and celebration, noticing how God shows up in regular ways every day, and growing as community and as Christians in the routine of daily life and weekly worship together. 

I think this cycle of our church year might be more like a spiral than a circle. Yes, every year we come around again to a similar point, but we are not the same. We have changed, grown, and developed. As we once again come close to Easter (or any season) we experience it differently because we are not quite the same people, and our world is not quite the same world, as it was when we passed this way before. 

Welcome to Easter, friends. It is time to encounter God, and yourself, anew. This Great 50 Days is a time to wonder at God's faithful love for us, and to seek and celebrate our relationship with the One who was willing to pass through death to life on our behalf. All is the same, and all is renewed. Alleluia!

with care and gratitude,

Alissa