|
|
| Back |
A Different Kind of Easter
by Dr. Lynn Connette
What could be better than celebrating two Christmases? How about two Easters? The Ethiopian calendar is a week “behind” our calendar. Traveling to Ethiopia in early January, I, and the others in the group from Shenandoah Presbytery, were privileged to celebrate a second Christmas. Traveling again to Ethiopia at the end of April, I celebrated the resurrection of Christ one week after the other. This adds new meaning to the statement, “Every Sunday is Easter Sunday!”
My second Easter was like no other. We began with a sunrise service in the town of Mettu. As we approached the church compound, we heard singing and chanting. The darkness of night was soon illuminated by candles lining the path to the church building. At the foot of the steps before the sanctuary, a great bonfire blazed. The faces of the 300-some people surrounding the fire shone–not only from the glow of the fire, but also because of the open joy of the victory of Christ over death. Girma, a young evangelist based in Mettu, led the service with scripture and song. The culmination of the celebration was a re-enactment of the Emmaus Road story–with the entire crowd spontaneously answering questions by the “actors,” and softly laughing at points of humor.
Not only was I privileged to have two Easters in one year, but I actually had two in one day. Immediately following the sunrise service in Mettu, Brian Gilcrest, PC(USA) mission-co-worker, and I picked up Yonas Yigezu, the President of the Illubabor Bethel Synod, and two others and then traveled over 60 km away to the community of “Gebredima.” Much of the journey was driving on a footpath through breathtaking forests and mountainous terrain, and for many of the people there, Brian’s and my faces were the first white ones they had ever seen.
“Gebredima” is a community that, two years ago, began a “preaching post” through the Synod. Our visit was in celebration of the congregation’s becoming an “official” congregation of the Mekane Yesus denomination, of which the Synod is a part. PC(USA) Church Development folks would have shared my astonishment–that, after two years of being a preaching post and 3 months as a congregation, there are 900 people on the church roll. Many of the members walk over an hour to reach Gebredima, and the church is actually exploring becoming two congregations of smaller sizes. The current sanctuary holds about 250 people–tightly packed!
So, with 250 packed in the sanctuary–many more hanging on window ledges and at the doors, and even more outside the building, we raised our songs of joy and our praise to the God who raises new life out of death. Songs were taught–the Apostles’ Creed was said line by line with people repeating after the leader. Yonas preached a rousing sermon. I gave greetings on behalf of Shenandoah Presbytery.
Hearing each verse of the new songs they were learning become stronger and more sure–until they could be sung with confidence and joyful abandon--was a treasure to behold. The tenderness and openness of these “new Christians” will always stay with me.