Surprised by Hope

But Easter week itself out not to be the time when all the clergy sigh with relief and go on holiday. It ought to be an eight-day festival, with champagne served after morning prayer or even before, with lots of alleluias and extra hymns and spectacular anthems...

In particular, if Lent is a time to give things up, Easter ought to be a time to take things up. Champagne for breakfast again - well, of course. Christian holiness was never meant to be merely negative. (256, 257).

Can I get an "Amen!" for the bishop‽ Don't call me an alcoholic, but believe it or not the emphasis was mine. No, champagne is not exactly my style, but I can respect that others would wish to celebrate/worship in a different way than say a shot of whiskey. Differences are good.

We should be celebrating, and if we were serving wine at breakfast, might not a few more people be excited about Sunday mornings? Might not prayers be more interesting? I'm not talking about in a gimmicky way, or insincere fashion. Start talking about alcohol and you got my attention though. True, all worship is not about excitement and enjoying oneself and each other (fellowship?), but some of it seems it is supposed to be.

I'm just saying, if we celebrated more, as in actually celebrated, we'd have an easier job convincing ourselves and others that we are indeed a celebratory people. And if we did it, we might have to hurt our heads less trying to understand the meaning behind how our non-celebratory practices are in fact really celebratory. We might have a visual aid of shalom.

At least get some descent shit for the Eucharist! Seriously, it shouldn't be a chore every Sunday for me to have to give myself the suck it up Josh and drink the wine you pathetic American rather than the grape juice speech. Sheesh!