For Orthodox Christians today is the Feast of St. Lazarus; as we begin the march toward Pascha / Easter, we start a week away with the raising of Lazarus from the dead, which provoked the decision to arrest and execute Jesus. We'll enact each of the events of the Passion week as the days go by, culminating with the Pascha celebration at midnight this coming Saturday.
A year ago, on this same Feast of St. Lazarus, a crew came from the PBS show, "Religion and Ethics Newsweekly," to film our church's very gifted chanter and proto-psalti, Emily Lowe. The story came out great: Religion & Ethics Newsweekly: Orthodox Chanting<http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/april-10-2009/orthodox-chanting/2625/> It's a two-minute piece, all in the first person, Emily talking about liturgical chant. It includes many shots of Holy Cross at prayer; you can spot me in the choir, and also Terry Mattingly, Scripps-Howard columnist and founder of GetReligion.org blog. You'll also hear my son Stephen chanting "Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels," and of course my handsome hubby, the pastor, swinging the incense and wearing one of those great hats that George Costanza<http://www.seinology.com/scripts/script-75.shtml>so admired. This was a Saturday morning, and attendance was thinner than it is on Sundays, but that's for the best because on Sundays it would have been hard to get a clear view of things, there's such a crowd. What a great job Emily did, and what a beautiful voice God has given her! I've heard many good voices, but Emily's has a specially un-forced quality that makes it all the more impressive, to me. To God be the glory! A blessed Pascha / Easter to all! ******** Frederica Mathewes-Green www.frederica.com
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