Pascha 2013: A Holy Week to Remember

This is my first official Holy Week with our new congregation. This is also the first Holy Week where I am neither a student nor employed. No boss, exams, schedules, whatever will get in the way of my Holy-Weeking, for lack of better terminology. This is also my first time ever living five minutes away from church. It's ambitious, I know, but I hope to be there for nearly every "Thok ta ti gom" juicy second!I know. "Juicy"? Not exactly how most people refer to church. But come on, people! Living Water! Bread of Life! It's all about juicy!!So now you know I'm excited. I have some other feelings, too. Mixed feelings.First, this is my first Holy Week in my new church. This means that I will be missing out on some of my favorite Holy Week voices. If you're Coptic, you know exactly what I mean. There are people that I have literally heard chant the Psalms for decades. Amazing deacons with amazing voices that are even more precious because they were the soundtrack of my Holy Weeks past. How in the world will I get through Holy Week without them?Let me be clear: we have wonderful deacons here, with thrilling voices. But my Holy Week will never be the same. Never mind that my HUSBAND IS LEADING THE PRAYERS. Wow. That only just sunk in. My one consolation is that I am not the only one in the congregation who is spending the week with a brand new home church. She and I have already commiserated over this fact.Second... and this is really going to sound terrible... attending Holy Week live all week means no more streaming St. Mark D.C. This must be completely heretical to say or something, but I have to say it. I can't tell you how many exams I studied for while streaming Sanctuary Live, how much homework I did while that blasted into my headphones. And the moment the sermon starts and you put everything else away and you just listen and cry. God forbid your college roommate walks in and interrupts. I think I'm going to miss it :/.But life moves forward--and in my case physically closer to God and the church. I'm going to make sure the car is fueled, the fridge is stocked, the clothes already picked out. I'm going to make a real Holy Week out of it--who knows what life will look like next year!For those of you who are students/employed, I want to let you in on a secret no one ever told me before. Some people take all of Holy Week off. No joke. I don't want to make a big deal about this, but I did want to let you know because the idea literally never crossed my mind. Covenant Thursday, ok. Good Friday, definitely. All week? Think it over. Maybe it's feasible in your life. I can guarantee it's worth it (Ok, I'll let you know at the end of this week if it's worth it, but really? You already know it is.)On a side note:One of the best things about Holy Week is the deacons with amazing voices that show up just for this week. I know there's a Coptic Meme about it somewhere mocking them, and if not I know there's a sermon out there somewhere mocking them. But let's get real. I don't mind it. So you don't usually serve as a deacon, but you have a crazy cool voice for Psalm chanting. Please don't be shy. Don't let anybody dissuade you. In the end, you're chanting for God, and God is happy you're there. Maybe it'll stick, and you'll come back. Sometimes the deacons chorus can be seem like such a clique; it's hard to get in. But a solo during Holy Week means you won't have to deal with any drama. Just sing your heart out, so I can properly meditate on my Lord's sacrifice.