Friday of Holy Week. Much time is set aside during this one week each year...at the church I serve we will observe Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday...each with a special worship experience. The week will begin with shouting and joy and a parade, center in on Jesus' intimate relationship with his closest followers, devolve into extreme cruelty and miscarriage of justice, and finally result in the incredible surprise of an empty tomb and the challenge of following Jesus Christ beyond even the darkest of life's experiences.
For pastors, and maybe for some parishioners, as well, the week can be tiring. It calls upon clergy to find several different ways to express the events of this week in our faith's history.
For several years, back in the day, I and three clergy friends would take the Monday following Easter Sunday off to go to a wooded area to play laser-tag. It was refreshing...it got us away from the responsibilities we had just exercised to lead several worship services the week prior.
This year I will most likely take some time to refresh in ways more fitting a man in his middle sixties. Whatever choice I make, it will be on this side of Easter...a reason for doing something special if ever there was one!