'Happy Easter'

This morning my ever faithful at failing nokia alarm did its usual. I thank God that mum called to wake me up, she's accustomed to that habit: of making sure that I do not oversleep; that I attend church service. The irony is that she's Buddhist, and has never once been to church. Today is Easter, and I had drum duty on. I drove half naked while making a call to my bud, Samuel, who was keyboarding and told him that I might be running a bit late, before being pointed out that service would only starting at 8.30 a.m. (thirty minutes later than what I had assumed). At the traffic light (while keeping my fingers crossed for no traffic police road blocks on the way to mum's), I had tried to slip on my shirt, only to have the lights turn green on me. After making a left turn into the relatively empty road, I spotted uncle Ho's son, David walking out front, about sixty metres (I have good eyes). And so I signalled and parked; wore my shirt and resumed driving a bit more and offered him a lift till my mum's place (he would be halfway to church there), where I had a light breakfast and got myself more appropriate garbs.

I arrived at church and took my place, a minute before the service began. I ran into some minor technical difficulties (the drum set's high-hat kept moving away from me, from all the playing), but it was overcame with some awkward but quick pulling-back of said equipment during strategically planned intervals, during the Songs of Praise & Worship part. Later on during the closing hymn, the high-hat retorted by abruptly sinking itself to an unsuitable playing height. And for this, it took a whole verse for me to correct, before I went in again at the chorus. No one commented on my playing today. I hope that God understands clumsiness caused by uncooperative drum equipment.

Today's service had a segment for kids where Pastor was explaining the meaning of Easter. And of course when asked initially what it had meant, a kid or two responded enthusiastically with, "Egg hunts!". I find my attention span always longer during these sermons for kids. Pastor went on to elaborate with the use of darkness as an illustration (apparently kids are not afraid of the dark nowadays: "Really wan!" a child exclaimed when Pastor expressed his disbelief); of what our lives meant, without Jesus Christ, our Light in this world. He went on to give each one of these kids seated in front of him a small cross with glow-in-the-dark properties. "This cross," he said to the kids while holding one up, "will absorb the day's light, and so you must give it enough light, for it to glow in the dark." This I think was a great metaphor for our relationship with God; maintain this for your other relationships. "Keep it in your rooms, hang it above your bedsides, see it and remember Jesus' Love for you, and when you do, talk to Him; pray. He's there for you," he went on to say.

Unsuprisingly I had only caught this from his later, usual sermon to the congregation: The Three Differences attributed to the Resurrection of Christ. Three things which I cannot, for the life of me recall now. However, I'm certain it was three. It was closed with this story (and I have a things for stories, it would seem), taken from some obscure book :

Once there was a man named Carl (or Karl) who was so rich that he owned property that spanned many estates. On afternoons, he would take to his favorite pastime: horseriding across the his vast valley, which he did, almost daily. One day during his outing, he met an old farmer named Hans. Hans was having lunch and took out a coarse looking piece of bread with some cheese, and right before eating it, closed his eyes and said a short prayer it. Carl (or Karl) then said, "Why having that for lunch, I would never give thanks!", to which Hans replied, "Oh! But I am thankful for everything that I have, and it is enough. For this, I must thank the Lord."

Right before leaving, Hans warned Carl (or Karl), that the night before he had a dream, and in this dream of his, the richest man in the valley would die later that day.

And now Carl (or Karl) was troubled by this immensely, and though thought himself foolish to believe in some old man's crazy dream, had called for his personal doctor to come by and give him a check-up because he had been experiencing some chest pains after his meeting with Hans. His doctor concluded however after the examination that he was as fit as a horse.

On the next day, Carl (or Karl) was given news that Hans had died.

David Wong was baptised and received into the church membership today, along with two other individuals who were unfamiliar to me. When he went up to the altar for Pastor to sprinkle water on him, a part done for the signifying of the cleansing of one's sins by Christ, and one's acceptance of Christ as their Lord and Saviour, I recalled an old and buried piece of information from within, and pictured for a moment, a scene of Heaven, with all its hosts rejoicing and celebrating together with us, this morning.

For me, today is a reminder the grave has no victory; and death has no sting.

Happy Easter, and holidays.

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