So there seems to be a fundamental difference in the sentiments being created by these two remembrances.  One tells a people their shared history of survival through the will of God.  The other tells a people of the survival of their God, in SPITE of the will of the people. Strange, huh?  Both reveal that God is more powerful a force than death and oppression, but in very different ways… Anybody else have any thoughts on the difference between these two?

Our dear friend Mel Ahlborn made this super cool and a little trippy flash video of last year’s Easter at Avalon. It takes a minute to load, but then get ready for a smooth ride…

Happy Easter! Christ is Risen! Alleluia.

Read it online with illustrations by Mike Jackson

Illustrations originally presented as slides
projected during a live reading
at Easter at Avalon
April 8, 2007

There was not long ago or far away
A town where children played and sang all day
And once their folks had tucked them in at night
The kids hid under covers in their fright
Except one little lady, strong and feral
A wild, precocious child by name of Carol
Who’d lie in silence, with her eyes tight closed
And wait till all the town serenely dozed

Then up she’d jump and loudly she’d declare
“It takes more than the dark to get me scared!”
Outside her window, an old Oak-tree grew
Perhaps this tree’s who she was speaking to
Regardless, she continued “Oh well sure
I’m frightened when the morning traffic roars
The hairs on my young neck do stand on ender
When mom throws fresh tomatoes in the blender
And last week on a class trip to the zoo
The tongue of a giraffe, it scared me too
There’s causes for concern both far and near
But one thing that I’ll never, ever fear…”

“Is England! Yeah, they once were some great power
But now are ‘bout as fearful as a flower
Their royal navy bullied the whole world
Now they can’t frighten this six year old girl!
I fear the toxic waste dumped in the sea
I fear the slash and burn of every tree
I fear the monsters underneath my bed
I fear the spirits mumbling in my head
I fear the pit-bull readying to pounce
But I do not fear England – not one ounce”

And who’d have thought these words from little Carol
Would prove to be old England’s greatest Peril?
To bring long dead King Arthur back to sense
As sworn to rise again in her defense
He looked around, asked “What’s the matter, son?
That I’m so summoned back from Avalon?
Where blossoms bloom and apples sweetly grow
And women are all true, unlike that—” “Whoa!”
Young Carol stopped him speaking “quiet please!
If Mom and Dad hear, they’ll call the police!
And just in case your vision’s gone all shady –
I’m no-one’s son, ‘cause I’m a little lady.”

“But tell me, girl, have Saxons stormed my lands?
And smudged the Grail with their unwash-ed hands?
I’ll swing Excalibur to smash their ranks
I’ll rend their necks, their elbows and their shanks.
But lo, I see no horror in your eyes”
“No, I don’t fear you prehistoric guys.”
She answered “Maybe once you fought so greatly
But tell me, Arthur, what have you done lately?”
So Arthur pondered this and said at last
“You’re right. All my great deeds are in the past.”

Just then the window opened and they stared
The oak was gone – there stood a lady fair!
And Carol asked “Are you his faithful bride?”
“No, that’s my sister Morgan,” Arthur sighed.
“Morgana, please,” the lady said “It’s true
I am his sister, and have powers too
I may not be a mighty patriarch
With lordly conquest legends to impart
But no less than this king’s great deeds in worth
For mine, you see, are powers of the earth
Each blade of grass that reaches for the sun
Each river that leaves flowers where it runs
All animals and insects on parade
Are part of this same earth from which they’re made
Though men don’t praise my glory by the sword
When men are gone, the Earth will still endure.”

“That’s cool!” said Carol “Why’ve I never heard?”
“We girls don’t get the credit we deserve.”
“Well thank you, Morgan, but that does not help,”
King Arthur sighed “I need to scare this whelp.”
But Carol answered “put away your sword
I understand, this world needs mighty lords
To be inspired with righteousness and truth
But if the planet’s ruined Рwhat’s the use?
Perhaps combined, the two of you could grant
Some balance for mankind upon the planet.
Your power would not need to come from fear
But rather from the songs of life you’d hear.”

Young Carol woke and looked around her room
Saw her two guests had vanished with the moon
But through the window, Carol smiled to see
the sun arose and kissed the old oak tree

Steve on Guitar, Miles on Drums, Ike on Samples, Dara Sings, originally uploaded by bowiesnodgrass.

Steve on Guitar, Miles on Drums, Dara Sings, Ike on Laptop

see more Flickr pics from Easter @ Avalon

People Gather Round:

People Gather Round, originally uploaded by bowiesnodgrass.

See more photos taken by Nicole Seiferth at Avalon on Easter.

The Writing On The Wall:

DSC9232, originally uploaded by kaitlyn tikkun.

Participants add their own dates to a timeline from the birth of William Augustus Muhlenberg, through Holy Communion Episcopal Church, a Drug Rehabilitation Center, The Limelight, Avalon, and Easter!

Check out all Kaitlyn Tikkun’s Transmission photos.

Communion Photo Series:

DSC9313, originally uploaded by kaitlyn tikkun.

Check out Kaitlyn Tikkun’s gorgeous series of photos of groups doing Communion By #s in her Easter at Avalon flickr “Transmission” Set.

“I grew up in the church and this is very different. It’s at another extreme. A lot of people aren’t comfortable going to church. This is more of a safe space to be yourself. It’s making it more real.” (Audience member Lena Lasarzewaki).

Also, thanks to uncoolkids.com who ran a listing of the event along with the scariest Easter bunny ever:

If you weren’t able to come, left early, or came with an empty wallet, don’t fret!

There’s still time to make an “offertory” for last night’s service (step #10 in the Communion by #s we did at the end of the evening, see post below). And we’d still be happy to accept up to $1200 in additional donations to break even.

* Thank you to all the folks who made anonymous offerings last night! We were blessed with almost $500 from you all.

* Thank you again, to all the folks and faith communities who made donations before the event (you can check out that list here).

* A big thank you also to Tracy Quan, who sold and signed copies of her two novels and gave us the proceeds!

* Finally, one more thank you to all the amazing volunteer talent that helped make last night all that it was.

1-gallon ziplock bags containing a piece of matzo, a brown paper bag filled with ten envelopes, and a note saying: “Find a group of 6-10 people, stand or sit in a circle, and pass out all the contents of this bag. Leave the matzo in the ziplock.”

The envelopes were numbered 1-10 and contained pieces of paper with the following instructions:

1. Sursum Corda: Have everyone in the group introduce him or herself.

2. Preface: People, share one thing from the last week for which you’re thankful.

3. Anamnesis: Read the following story aloud: Luke 24:13-35 [Insert text from Bible, this was a full sheet of paper, on which we also included a "setting" sentence] Two disciples are walking the road to Emmaus, three days after Jesus’ crucifixion.

4. Reflection: Encourage everyone to share a reaction they had to the story. If the story did not move them, share a reaction they’ve had to the service.

5. Get the wine: Send two or three people to the bar to get enough glasses of wine/grape juice for your group. Make sure you know how many wine and how many grape juice cups to get.

6. Bless the bread: Hold the bread so everyone can see it. Say these words: Blessed are you, God, source of all life, who brings forth bread from the earth. Then break the bread and hold on to it.

7. Bless the wine: Hold the wine so everyone can see it. Say these words: Blessed are you, God, Spirit of the world, who creates the fruit of the vine.

8. Epiclesis: Pray these words: Bless these gifts, God, and let them be for us the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Nourish us with food and community so that we may live in the fullness of life which you intend for us.

9. Communion: Eat the bread, drink the wine.

10. Offertory: Put the garbage back into the paper bag and hold onto this envelope (#10). Stand or sit together in silence and wait for the next activity. Pray, meditate, or reflect.

PS We got the idea for Communion by #s from Grace, London and Johnny Baker. Isaac and I participated in one of these (led by Grace) last summer at Greenbelt.

PPS We thought the Road to Emmaus story would be cool to do for this Easter event (instead of the standard Last Supper), and were totally tickled to then find out that it was the assigned lectionary reading for Easter Evening. The lectionary also influenced our decision to use Psalm 114 in the service (with the chorus of “Stayin’ Alive” as the antiphon). Aw, yeah!

Photos (c) 2006 Hal Weiner for AyeWitness — an Episcopal Photoministry and individually. All rights reserved under United States law and the Berne Convention. For the right to utilize photos please e-mail me: DigitalPhotoPro@aol.com. Please visit my studio on the web: www.portfolios.com/halweiner. Member, NPPA.

We’re also Sunday’s “Don’t Miss!” Around Town.¬† Thanks, TONY!

PS For the record, although we hope the service will be “nervy” and “sexy” – we’re not aiming for “pervy” or “sacrilegious.”¬† That’s just TONY talking.

But, here’s an anonymous Christian poem that I found online with the same sentiment. It may be cheesy, but it feels like good advice for these last days of Lent… as we complete our fasting and prepare for the feast!

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself.