Holy week…Easter morning will be a time of singing and celebration, but the earlier part of the week is a time of great darkness. Last night, I attended the Maundy Thursday service at my church. When the congregation arrived, the sanctuary was dark and quiet, with the majority of light being provided by a few candles. Different pastors read scripture about the night Christ was betrayed. After each pastor read, he blew out a candle, and the sanctuary became darker and still darker. Finally, after the last pastor read, the sanctuary was totally dark, and the congregation left in silence. I went looking for an Easter poem this morning. I found this one, by Edmund Spenser, an English poet best known for "The Faerie Queen."He wrote this about five hundred years ago, but it seems like a great poem/prayer for Easter weekend… "Easter" Most glorious Lord of Lyfe! that, on this day, Didst make Thy triumph over death and sin; And, having harrowd hell, didst bring away Captivity, thence captive, us to win: This joyous day, deare Lord, with joy begin; And grant that we, for whom, thou diddest dye, Being with Thy dear blood clene washt from sin, May live forever in this felicity And that Thy love we weighing worthily May likewise love Thee for the same againe And for Thy sake, that all lyke deare didst buy, With love may one another entertayne! So let us love, deare Love, lyke as we ought, Love is the lesson which the Lord us taught. Edmund Spenser Poetry Friday is at The Book Aunt (and I do so love the name of her blog!) Happy Easter! Or Passover! Or Spring! Or all three!